NAACP to honor Burroughs with Human Rights Award
The NAACP Washington branch has announced its recipient of the 2026 NAACP Human Rights Award.
The NAACP will honor Teresa Burroughs, executive director of the LeMoyne Community Center, during its 66th annual awards banquet at 6 p.m. Friday, May 1, at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Meadow Lands.
Burroughs said she was “overwhelmed” to receive the award and credited the staff, volunteers and community “who believe in the power of service and equity.”
“Together, we are building a stronger, more inclusive community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” said Burroughs.
Burroughs is leading the LeMoyne Community Center through a major construction project that includes the addition of three classrooms, significant expansion of the kitchen, and other enhancements.
The $350,000 project is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
Burroughs has long been committed to providing initiatives focused on youth development and educational advancement, and providing community health and wellness programs that impact the lives of individuals and families throughout the region. Among the programs offered at the center – which has been in operation since 1956 – are Camp Challenge, a summer camp that draws 150 to 200 campers each year to participate in a variety of academic, sports and arts programs, and food programs aimed at combatting food insecurity and promoting healthy lifestyles.
“The recognition from the NAACP highlights the importance of this work and underscores the ongoing need for leadership rooted in compassion, justice, and action,” said Burroughs.
Burroughs was named to the Washington County Community Foundation’s Community Pillars Class of 2024, and in 2025 she received the Pride in Washington Award from Washington City Council.
She is a longtime member of the South Fayette School Board.
The keynote speaker for the event will be Chad Lassiter, executive director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.
Lassiter is an expert in the field of American race relations, and has worked on race, peace, and poverty-related issues in the United States, Africa, Canada, Haiti, Israel, and Norway.
From April 2023 until December 2024, Lassiter served as a commissioner on former president Joe Biden’s Presidential Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunities for Black Americans.
Among other programs at the Pennsylvania Human Rights Commission, Lassiter has developed and launched the PHRC Civil Rights Outreach Division to address civil tensions, conflicts, and incidents in communities across the commonwealth and promote anti-racism through education and outreach, and has launched a “No Hate in Our State Town Hall” to address the surge of White Nationalism in Pennsylvania.
Mamie Bah, a news reporter for KDKA-TV, will serve as mistress of ceremonies.
Tickets cost $60 and can be obtained by emailing NAACP Washington at naacp.washington.pa@gmail.com or calling the NAACP office at 724-222-7820.