Art Sanctuary Honors 4 Black Leaders, Including CBS 3's Ukee Washington

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The Art Sanctuary in Philadelphia is honoring four men as part of this month's Celebration of Black Arts Festival, including one prominent member of our CBS family.

Ukee Washington was very humble to receive the Chuck Stone Award for Excellence in Journalism:

"My name is being used in the same sentence as Chuck Stone, Bob Bogle...two men I greatly admire," he says. "Just to be in that same sentence tells me, I think because of my parents, I'm doing something right."

He says he wants to continue adding to their legacy, and...

"...hopefully inspire others who come after me to do the right thing, especially when it comes to our great industry known as journalism."

Children's book illustrator and author Bryan Collier was "shocked" to receive the Award for Excellence in Visual Literacy.

"It came out of the blue for me," he says.

His message to those children who see him as a role model:

"If you're an artist you can do anything, you can change the world, you're so powerful."

Inspiration is also important to Colson Whitehead, who was honored for his work in literature:

"If there's a kid in the audience who thinks he or she might want to write and picks up my book and think 'I can write fiction for a living' I think that's very nice."

On the music scene, J. Donald Dumpson is the Gamble & Huff Award For Excellence recipient.

"I feel honored, tremendous gratitude, and most importantly the legacies I represent, those who came before me, hopefully I'm passing it on to others, and that means a tremendous amount to me."

This is the 33rd year of the festival.

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