June 13, 2025, Buffalo, NY - The Buffalo Urban League is thrilled to announce its sponsorship of this year's prestigious Queen Nana & King Nana Awards, which will be presented during the Juneteenth Festival and Parade this Saturday. This celebration honors the remarkable contributions of Author Sharon J. Holley and Kenneth B. Holley.

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Sharon J. Holley is a storyteller and retired librarian in Buffalo, NY, who hails from High Springs, FL. She is a founding member of Spin-a-Story Tellers of WNY and a Co-Founder of Tradition Keepers: Black Storytellers of WNY. Ms. Holley is the President of the Board for the Michigan Street Preservation Corp Serves on the Board of the Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier and the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor.

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Ms. Holley is also a life-member of the National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc., where she received the Zore Neale Hurston Award, the Association's highest award given for excellence in storytelling and also a life member of the Buffalo Genealogical Society of the African American Diaspora.

 

Kenneth B. Holley began his career in community service by serving in the United States Air Force. Upon his discharge, Mr. Holley served as co-director of Agape AME Church summer program and later as job developer and Director of Agape's youth employment program. For twenty-three years, he has been a founding member and Director of the Buffalo Lutheran Employment Service (BLES), located at 910 Fillmore Avenue in Buffalo. Under his direction, BLES has been a service ministry to hundreds of people annually for job referral and placement, and job readiness training. In addition, BLES offers the services of a food pantry.

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Mr. Holley's commitment to community service continued as he served as co-coordinator of the Buffalo Kwanzaa Committee for 21 years. Mr. Holley owned and operated Harambee Books and Crafts, an African American bookstore, in two locations on the east side of Buffalo for twenty-one years. The store carried products and materials by and about people of African descent and was the meeting place for celebrations of Kwanzaa, Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X Day, Black History Study groups and author signings. Mr. Holley continues to participate in Juneteenth and other venues with products by and about people of African descent.

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He is a member of the Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier. Mr. Holley also co-edits a column in the Buffalo Challenger, Turning Page's a list of suggestive readings.

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Among the awards that Mr. Holley has received are: the Ralph W. Lowe Award; City of Buffalo Common Council; BLES Annual Service Award; Christ Lutheran Church's Grass Root Award; Staff Dedicated Award;

Southern Christian Leadership's Outstanding Service Award; Invisible Soldiers Award; True Bethel Baptist church; Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition; New York Sate Assembly Citation, Common Council Proclaimed, June 15, 1999, Kenneth Holley Day in the City of Buffalo.