Country star Eric Church, Mickey Michaux among those awarded NC’s highest civilian honor
The North Carolina Award, the highest civilian honor that can be given in the state, is going to six people Tuesday who hail from the land of the long leaf pine.
Gov. Roy Cooper was to present the North Carolina Award to the honorees in a ceremony at the North Carolina Museum of Art at 7 p.m. Tuesday. They’re being recognized for their nationally and historically significant achievements.
They are:
▪ Eric Church of Granite Falls for Fine Arts
▪ Former U.S. Rep. Eva M. Clayton of Littleton for Public Service
▪ Dr. Priya S. Kishnani, of Durham for Science
▪ Former N.C. legislator H. M. “Mickey” Michaux Jr., of Durham for Public Service
▪ Stanley R. Riggs, of Greenville for Science
▪ David Zucchino of Durham for Literature
The award has been presented annually since 1964 by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which has awarded over 250 people from the Tar Heel State.
Here is more about the award winners.
Eric Church
The country music superstar, a native of the town of Granite Falls, will receive the North Carolina Award for Fine Arts.
Church, an alumnus of Appalachian State University, has won multiple music awards and has received multiple Grammy Award nominations for the music adored by his loyal fans, whom he affectionately refers to as the “Church choir.” In 2020, he won the CMA Award for Entertainer of the Year.
He and his wife have formed the Chief Cares Fund, which helps those in need.
His music is peppered with references to his home state, including his album, “Carolina.” But his love for the state was a point of controversy earlier this year. Church canceled a Texas concert in March to watch the historic UNC vs. Duke game in the Final Four of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
He apologized, and said that giving up the concert was the “most selfish” thing he could ask of his fans.
Eva Clayton
Clayton, of Littleton, will receive the Public Service award. She became the first Black woman to represent North Carolina in Congress when she took office in 1992. She also was the state’s first Black representative to be elected since 1901.
She spent much of her career advocating for those living in rural areas, particularly in the agriculture industry. She helped revive the Rural Caucus, according to a news release, with Missouri Republican Jo Ann Emerson. They worked to provide federal aid to farmers and expand technology to help the nation’s farms. She retired from Congress in 2003.
Dr. Priya S. Kishnani
Kishnani of Durham is one of the recipients of a North Carolina Award for Science. She is a Duke pediatrician who specializes in clinical and biochemical genetics and is known for her expertise in treating individuals with genetic disorders.
She is also a Duke professor of Pediatrics, chief of the Division of Medical Genetics, a professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, a faculty member of the Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiatives and member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute.
Mickey Michaux
The longtime Durham civil rights activist and former state representative also will receive the award for Public Service.
Michaux, who was a personal friend of Martin Luther King Jr., was in the House of Representatives from 1973-77 and from 1983-2019. He also served in the N.C. Senate when he was appointed in 2020 to temporarily fill a seat at the age of 89.
Michaux was also the first Black United States Attorney in the South in 1977 since Reconstruction.
Stanley R. Riggs
Riggs, a renowned geologist and marine scientist, is another recipient of a North Carolina Award for Science. Riggs, a leader in climate change research, is known for his work on the state’s coasts. He received praise for his book “The Battle for North Carolina’s Coast” in which he, along with other authors, explains how sea level rise threatens the barrier islands of the state.
He began working at East Carolina University in 1967 and taught geology for 33 years.
David Zucchino
The award for Literature will be given to Zucchino, a Durham-based journalist and author of several nonfiction books based on his award-winning journalism. The New York Times contributor, who began his career at The News & Observer, has written about a range of social issues, from wars around the world to apartheid in South Africa.
His 2020 book “Wilmington’s Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy” was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2021 for General Nonfiction. His work received praise for its striking account and research of the 1898 insurrection in Wilmington.
More information on the reception, banquet and ceremony for the awards is at ncdcr.gov/NCAwards.
This story was originally published November 15, 2022 at 5:45 AM.
