[tps_header]What do Nelson Mandela, Oprah and Soledad O’Brien have in common? They’ve all received the Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM). The NCRM is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and thanks to African Pride, I was able to tour the museum, interview several of the awardees and attend the awards gala.
The gala and awards ceremony opened with a video tribute to lives lost to police brutality. Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On played in the background and almost brought me to tears. Michael Eric Dyson hosted the awards. And Anthony Brown reminded us, in song, that our lives are worth fighting for.
The importance of family was a common theme in the acceptance speeches. Each of the awardees acknowledged how the support and guidance of their families fueled their drive in the fight for freedom.
Lawyer and social activist Bryan Stevenson expressed gratitude for the influence of his grandmother, journalist Soledad O’Brien mentioned her parents bravery to marry illegally (Maryland prohibited interracial marriage), and former WNBA player Swin Cash acknowledged her mother and grandmother for giving her the courage to overcome the odds of being a black women and stand up for what she believes in.
Below are pictures from the gala and ways each of the awardees is keeping us on the path of the long walk toward freedom. [/tps_header]
The Freedom Awards Wall of Fame
Past Awardees include Oprah, Nelson Mandela, Colin Powell, Harry Belafonte, Ava DuVernay and many others.
Michael Eric Dyson, the event’s host, is an author, professor at Georgetown University, radio host and frequently speaks on the issues facing black America.
Anthony Brown, an awardee, is a gospel singer and leader of group TherAPy. He is best known for the song, Worth.
Awardee Bryan Stevenson is an attorney, professor at New York University and advocate for social justice. He is best known for his non-profit, The Equal Justice Initiative, which fights poverty and challenges discrimination in the criminal justice system.
Swin Cash, an awardee, is a 15-year WNBA veteran, two-time Olympic gold medalist and advocate for social justice. She is best known for leading the WNBA’s media blackout and uniform protests to call attention to police brutality.
Awardee Soledad O’Brien is an award-winning journalist and executive producer. She is best known for initiating national conversations on the black experience. Her CNN documentary series Black in America explored the struggles since Dr. King’s death, disparity in education and the disturbing statistics of single parenthood.
Tawakkol Karman, an awardee, is a journalist, Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights advocate. She is best known for her non-violent fight to bring democracy to Yemen during the Arab Spring of 2011.
The Honorable William Winter, an awardee, served as governor of Mississippi from 1980-1984. He is best known for his administration’s fight to eliminate the inequity in education due to the state’s history of segregation.
Benjamin Crump, an awardee, is a civil rights attorney. He is best known for his legal representation of the families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Tamir Rice.
[tps_footer]BMWK: Why are awards ceremonies that celebrate the fight for justice important? [/tps_footer]