Dr. Judith Docca, former principal and longtime Board of Education member, is one of six African Americans Montgomery County will honor with a “Living Legend Award” during a Juneteenth celebration at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 14, at BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown.
County Executive Marc Elrich will host the awards ceremony, which is part of the county’s 27th Annual Juneteenth celebration. The award recipients are being honored for their lifelong dedication to service, advocacy and selfless acts of kindness. The event is free and open to the public.
Dr. Docca dedicated her career to advocating for education and civil rights, spending 38 years as an MCPS teacher and principal. Elected to four terms on the Board of Education, she chaired the Communications and Public Engagement Committee and served on the Special Populations Committee. Dr. Docca has been active in the Montgomery County NAACP, the Lincoln Park Historical Foundation and numerous educational associations. She was pivotal in saving Montgomery County’s Head Start program and has been inducted into the County Human and Civil Rights Hall of Fame. Recently, she was appointed to the Montgomery College Board of Trustees by Maryland Governor Wes Moore.
The ceremony will also honor Eddie Dove, Janice Freeman, Roy Priest, Charles “Charlie Buck” Thomas Jr. and Henry Williams Sr.