Login | July 18, 2025
Juvenile Court honors Sykes family with banner unveiling
Published: March 1, 2024
AKRON––Last week, the Summit County Juvenile Court unveilled a banner recognizing the contributions to the community of of three Sykes family members: Akron School Board Member Barbara Sykes, State Senator Dr. Vernon Sykes and Congresswoman Emilia Sykes.
The ceremonytook place Thursday, Feb. 22 in the main lobby of the William P. Kannel Juvenile Court Center located at 650 Dan Street.
The banner was part of the juvenile court’s ongoing observance of Black History and Women’s History months in February and March, respectively.
The banner project first began in 2006 when the court produced a banner with the image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and below it, a Pledge of Peace.
Visitors to the court were asked to sign the banner and students across Summit County were sent the Pledge of Peace, which they signed and returned to the court.
Both the banner and the collection of the pledges were sent to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in Washington, D.C., where the banner was displayed.
Two years later, it was decided that the court would not only acknowledge Black History Month but Women’s History Month as well.
The concept is to select a prominent African-American woman with historic ties to Summit County.
The first banner depicted Sojourner Truth and remembered her famous, “And Ain’t I a Woman” speech that was delivered at a site on High Street that is home to the United Way, where the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza honors her memory.
Other banners have recognized Harriett Tubman and the substantial role Summit County played in her Underground Railroad; Buchtel High School graduate Rita Dove whose prose and poetry resulted in her designation as the nation’s Poet Laureate; Mary Eagle, whose quiet but effective community activism resulted in affordable housing for the underprivileged; Ruby Nash Garnett, lead singer for Ruby and the Romantics, whose song, “Our Day Will Come,” soared to Number One on the pop music charts in 1963. That banner also noted the Howard Street District that was home to several night spots that played host to some of the greatest stars of the Big Band Era.
Banners have also honored Akron School Board Member Helen Arnold, NAACP Director Emeritus Ophelia Averitt, Coming Together Project Director Dr. Fannie Brown and the Beacon Journal’s Pulitzer Prize-winning series, “A Question of Color,” city of Akron Deputy Mayor Dorothy Jackson and Judge Carla Moore.
On three occasions, the court deviated a bit from its central theme.
Judge Mary Cacioppo and Councilman Ed Davis were honored for being the first of their kind in their respective disciplines, Judge Cacioppo for being the first woman to serve on the 9th District Court of Appeals and Davis for being elected as the first Black Akron City councilman.
The court also commemorated the dedication of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. monument and Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor was honored last year,
The Sykes Family was honored for their substantial accomplishments as public servants.
Dr. Vernon Sykes has served as an Akron City councilman, Ohio state representative and his current role as Ohio state senator.
His wife, Barbara, was an Akron City councilperson, Ohio state representative, and is currently a member of the Akron School Board.
Emilia Sykes became the first Black woman to serve the 13th Congressional District. The two-term congresswoman has developed a reputation for seeking bi-partisan cooperation on legislation, and her colleagues have placed her in leadership roles in the Democratic caucus, including House Minority Leader.
For those reasons, and so much more, the Summit County Juvenile Court was honored to recognize these outstanding individuals and this amazing family.