“We are extremely proud to highlight the excellence of just some of the remarkable youth living in south Springfield,” 1159 South Vice President Neal Browning said. “The Youth Walk of Fame stands as a daily and permanent reminder of the community’s acknowledgement and appreciation of the outstanding youth who live here.
“We are happy to showcase these seven and, in so doing, inspire other youth to continue striving for excellence knowing that their accomplishments are important and notable.”
The Youth Walk of Fame is in a new community space, developed on a formerly neglected, abandoned lot where a commercial building stood for decades before being torn down. 1159 South acquired the lot in 2020 from the Clark County Land Reutilization Corp., and transformed it into the Innisfallen Inspiration Garden, a community space designed to engage and inspire residents, such as the Youth Walk of Fame and Hattie Moseley plaque.
“Too often, the focus is on the negative. The community appreciates and welcomes celebrations of youth that uplift and encourage them, as we are doing with the Youth Walk of Fame,” Browning said.
The total cost of transforming the vacant lot into a community space was $20,000, funded from donations and several grants.
Donations funded the site preparation including dead tree removal, hardscaping and landscaping. The Springfield Foundation provided a $9,500 grant to activate the space with seating, park elements and the plaque. NiSoure/Columbia Gas provided a grant of $1,000 to purchase the Youth Walk of Fame plaques. Crabill Family Foundation provided a $5,000 grant to support the Garden and Grand Harmony, a nearby community space on three formerly vacant lots. Funds from residents who bought personalized, engraved bricks for the “Walkway of Us” at the Garden also helped.
The seven youths ages 5 to 17, who were chosen after being nominated as outstanding, will be recognized with granite walk-of-fame stars with their names and categories of achievement. They include:
Amir Harris, 8 – Excellence in Academics.
Christopher B. Brown II, 8 – Excellence in Academics.
Ke’Shae Colvin, 17 – Excellence in Athletics.
Mackenzie Dawn Davis-Jackson, 12 – Excellence in Leadership.
Promise Mytavia Beavers, 11 – Excellence in Athletics.
Ray’shaun Beavers, 9 – Excellence in Community Service.
Te’Sean Smoot, 17 – Excellence in Leadership.
Along with the Youth Walk of Fame, a bronze plaque honoring Moseley (1896-1965) will also be unveiled. She was “an outspoken and passionate advocate for civil rights and racial equality in Springfield,” Browning said. She helped desegregate Fulton Elementary School, the Liberty Theater, F.W. Woolworth’s and other public places.
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