The 2015 Drum Major Award was presented to George and Beverly Grant in recognition of their leadership and service to the community.The award is the highest honor the Grand Rapids Urban League can impart to a recipient.

George Grant, Jr., dean of the College of Community and Public Service, and Beverly Grant, interim executive director of the Johnson Center for Philanthropy, have been married for 20 years.

The Drum Major Award is significant because it draws from a speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr. which says, “Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter.”