32nd Annual Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award Dinner
Feature Story by Clarissa Peterson - 5/15/2008
On May 14, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), along with its coalition of nearly 200 civil and human rights organizations, came together to honor and celebrate three civil rights leaders: Representative John Conyers, D. Mich., housing advocate Patricia Rouse, and journalist Soledad O’Brien.
Emcee Maureen Bunyan and honoree Rep. John Conyers Jr.
The annual dinner brings together people from all walks of life — members of both houses of Congress and the executive branch, business leaders, educators, civil rights leaders and community activists, and young people who are the next generation of civil and human rights advocates.
Rep. John Conyers Jr. was honored for the indelible mark he has made on civil rights. Conyers, who was elected to Congress in 1964, is the highest ranking Black congressman and the first Black chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
"Rep. Conyers ... has been a leader on civil rights for decades, using his position in Congress to achieve greater equity for African Americans and all Americans," said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of LCCR.
Honoree Soledad O'Brien, presenter Edward Norton, and honoree Patricia Rouse
Patricia Rouse was honored for her many years of work in support of fair housing. She co-founded the housing advocacy organization Enterprise Community Partners with her husband, James Rouse, in 1982.
"Her commitment to affordable housing for all Americans is an inspiration to all of us who want to see the promise of fair housing fulfilled," said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of LCCR.
Rouse's award was presented by her step-grandson, actor Edward Norton.
Soledad O'Brien was honored for her "pivotal role in telling the stories of Katrina's homeless," according to Henderson.
As a journalist for CNN, O'Brien has put a human face on major news events, contributing to the dialogue over civil and human rights issues. Her documentary Children of the Storm put cameras in the hands of young Hurricane Katrina survivors so they could tell their own stories of life after the hurricane.
