2026 Embrace Honors MLK Award Recipients

Luella Dickerson was born June 22, 1963, in Boston, MA. She attended Boston Public Schools, where she graduated from Hyde Park High School in 1982. Luella married William E. Dickerson II in 1980.

After high school, she studied cosmetology. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, she worked at Boston Medical Center and Boston Financial Data Services in Quincy, MA. Luella learned interior decorating over the years and did consultant work for Pauline Murray, the owner of Murray’s Designs in Georgia. With her unique elegance and flair, she has inspired other women in that field.

Over the years, Luella worked with proven-risk females and those engaged in prostitution. She used her business and educational experiences to help misguided females get on the right track. She has worked with women in Boston who were seeking refuge and safety from their pimps and abusive relationships. She has guided and advised unwed mothers in Mission Hill, Dorchester, and beyond.

Luella has always been an industrious person since her youth. In the 1980s, Luella and her husband were certified as foster parents. In 1989, she helped to establish Greater Love Tabernacle Church under the leadership of her husband, Bishop William E. Dickerson II. In the late 1990s, she started Luella’s Fashions, wherein she owned Luella’s fashion boutique in Boston.

In 1995, Luella and her husband cofounded the Family Conference. Through this conference, a network was formed whereby churches, social service agencies, and health institutions collaborated to promote wellness among participants. Around 2005, Luella worked with a group of professionals who provided social service outreach to single mothers. This program was a collaborative effort between GLT’s social service outreach under Elder Edward Burks and Communities for People under Joe Leavy. She worked with single moms whose children were a part of the former DSS system. Luella helped single mothers get themselves together mentally and emotionally in order to regain custody of their children. Although that program was defunded, Luella has continued to reach out to economically disadvantaged women and proven-risk girls.

Over the years, Luella has been instrumental in helping hurting females and those struggling with illicit activities through workshops and one-on-one sessions. She has helped many women obtain support for their children. Moreover, Luella has helped some enter substance abuse programs and has guided others out of illicit or addictive behaviors.

Currently, Luella continues to work with her husband, Bishop William E. Dickerson II, who is the Senior Pastor of Greater Love Tabernacle and the Bishop of Restoration Ministries of Boston, MA. Luella is known by many as Lady D. She has great compassion for all people, especially women who are struggling with the adversities of life. She is loving, caring, empathetic, and nonjudgmental.

She hosts women’s conferences to help empower women in their daily lives as mothers, caretakers, and entrepreneurs. Through these conferences, she also hosts workshops that support life-skills development.

Luella is a good listener and is always willing to connect with people from diverse backgrounds. Many women seek her wisdom and guidance. Luella Dickerson has been married to William E. Dickerson II for 45 years. They are the proud parents of three adult children—William, Kyanna, and Latia—and grandparents to six grandchildren.