BREMERTON — The fifth annual Washington State African American Achievement Awards ceremony will be held 6 p.m. (4 p.m. for dinner) Jan. 30 at the Bremerton Performing Arts Center, 1500 13th St.

The awards were started five years ago by Deborah Moore Jackson, and it has grown every year since.

“I started this at Bremerton High School, because we didn’t have any black history classes,” Moore Jackson said. “Our children needed to understand that African Americans, people that look like them, have been doing (good things) for a long time.”

According to Eastern Regional Director Francelle Daubert, every year there’s a theme for choosing the honorees. This year’s theme is “Beyond the Pulpit,” to honor church leaders who have “gone beyond the church” to help improve their communities.

Past years themes have included teachers of the year, founders (of businesses, nonprofits and more) and other things. The process of choosing an honoree takes about a month, Daubert said, from nomination to selection by Moore Jackson.

“(The selection process) is based on what he theme is for any given year, and how closely a nominee fits that theme,” Daubert said. “There have been nominees put forth for one year that have not been honored, but have given inspiration for the next year’s theme and been honored that following year.”She added that Moore Jackson “makes certain all nominations are observed in one way or another, be it receiving the award, or through inspiration for years that follow.”

Daubert said that the ceremony itself grows every year, originating as a daytime event that now includes a red carpet, dinner, a reception and entertainment. This year, the entertainment includes music, dance, poetry and more.

“It’s a show as far as the event is concerned,” Daubert said. “It’s going to be incredible this year.”

She said that the last couple years have seen around 500 people attending the event, but “every year, it’s grown.”

“I really think that it’s important that young people, at least the community at large, are able to see people of color in our community who are really working to enhance not just their own African American community, but their whole community,” Daubert said.

“We believe that those are are nominated are valuable members of their respective communities, and deserve to be recognized for their contributions. Our event is only five years old. We intend to continue to honor our leaders for years to come.”

For more information about the event, visit their Facebook page at on.fb.me/1nwekR3. Tickets can be purchased at brownpapertickets.com.

This year’s honorees and some of their accomplishments are:

— Bishop Leo Brown Jr. of Tacoma: Brown founded the True Vine Community Church of God in Christ; co-founded “Operation Longthrust,” a summer youth camp program; founded the Progress House Association; and was appointed Jurisdictional Prelate Bishop to the Washington State Jurisdiction in 2014.

— Bishop Lawrence Robertson of Bremerton: Robertson founded Emmanuel Apostolic Church in 1978; is highly involved in the community and instrumental in providing services that address the spiritual, physical and social needs of society; and spearheaded the opening of The Opal Robertson Westside Teen Center in 2011.

— Reverent Frankie Coleman of Bremerton: Coleman founded the Word of Life Fellowship Church in Bremerton; was a pastor of Sinclair Missionary Baptist Church; organized Sinclair ministries including Sinclair Tuesday Soup and Sandwich Feeding Ministry, support of Coffee Oasis Feeding of Homeless Teens and mission trips to Haiti.

— Bishop Nathanial Davis Sr. of Seattle: Davis has served the Pacific Northwest District Council and the Hawaii District Council; retired as Diocesan of the 56th Episcopal District in 2013; and retired as pastor to Bethel Christian Church in 2015.

– Bishop Charlotte Beeler-Petty of Olympia: Beeler-Petty founded Risen Faith Fellowship Church in Olympia; has been a director of Christian education; a member of the Seattle Pacific College alumni board; and Lady Director of the Western Region of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc.

— Paster Lawrence Willis of Skyway: Willis is the founder of L.O.V.E. T.O., a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit; organized youth outreach and re-entry programs for men and women from prison; a member of Prayer Warriors Outreach and Prison Ministries; and is an active supporter of the Youth for Christ Empowerment Outreach.

— Pastor Lonnie Mitchell of Spokane: Mitchell has been serving at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Spokane since 1991; develops opportunities to help people more toward self-sufficiency in one of Spokane’s low-income neighborhoods; and is a proponent of bringing faith and government together to build and sustain healthy communities.

— Connie Thompson of Seattle: Thompson is a broadcast journalist who has been honored by consumer and community groups for her commitment to raising consumer awareness about things ranging from privacy issues to product safety and more; and is an informal mentor for young people entering television journalism and for those considering communications as a career goal.

— Harriett Bryant of Bremerton: Bryant worked for the Women, Infant and Children program; was a member of the Developmental Disabilities Council; and has volunteered for the East Bremerton Rotary, Kitsap Community Foundation, Boys & Girls Club of Kitsap County, Professional Child Protective Team and more.

— Elmer Dixon of Seattle: Dixon has worked in the field of Human Rights, Multiculturalism and Inclusion for 20 years; now serves as President of Executive Diversity Services; and has delivered diversity/inclusion, cultural competency and multi-cultural training sessions for government agencies, nonprofits and major U.S. corporations.

— Senator George Fleming of Seattle: Fleming has served as Vice-Chair of the Democratic Caucus; been Caucus Chairman; is an advocate for the underprivileged, control of illicit drugs, quality of education improvement, civil rights and more.

— Councilman Larry Gossett Jr. of Seattle: Gossett is in his seventh term on the Metropolian King County Council; advocates for the underrepresented and underprivileged in King County; is an advocate for programs that help inner-city youth and reduce racial and class disparities in the justice system; and has spearheaded efforts to eliminate black-on-black violence.

— Dr. Norwood Brooks of Seattle: Brooks was the first African American Department head in King County, the first African American commissioner of the Washington State Employment Security and the first African American Comptroller for Seattle; has volunteered to advance the cause of Kingdom building at First AME Church; and was the first director of Fame’s Martin Luther King Community Center.