Retired Court of Appeals Judge M. Yvette Miller returns to Macon as featured speaker for the annual Wimberly Institute’s Racial Barrier Breakers Award ceremony on October 17, 2026 at the Anderson Conference Center at 6:00pm. A trailblazing jurist in her own right, Miller had her portrait unveiled on Thursday September 24, 2026 in the Court of Appeals. She was the first African American woman to serve as Chief judge of the court. She has broken many racial and sexual barriers in her lifetime including being the first African American woman to be named Miss Macon, then Miss Georgia, she also was the first black student at Walter Jones Elementary School where her mother, Patricia Miller, was the first Black teacher. Dr. Henry Ficklin, founder and president of the Wimberly Institute said, “Judge Miller is the ideal person to speak at the ceremony being that she is the epitome of a racial barrier breaker. Her presence honors the institute’s mission and certainly her accomplishments honor her hometown-Macon.” Tickets to the ceremony are $65. Call 478-284-1987 for details.