The District of Columbia Commission on Human Rights and the District of Columbia Office of Human Rights are proud to announce that they will host the inaugural Human Rights' Award Gala ‘19 on the 8th’ on Thursday December 8, 2011 from 5 – 8 pm. Peter B. Edelman, a human rights leader, will be honored and presented with the Fourth Annual Cornelius R. “Neil” Alexander Humanitarian Award.
The Award
The Cornelius R. “Neil” Alexander Humanitarian Award celebrates the efforts and accomplishments of individuals who have made significant contributions in the field of human or civil rights and to improving the quality of life in the District of Columbia.
Neil Alexander was the Chief Hearing Examiner for the DC Commission on Human Rights, from 1987 until his untimely death in 2007. Neil was widely recognized as an expert in discrimination law and a leader in the fight for social justice. With an extensive knowledge of discrimination law, he wrote numerous legal decisions in cases that received regional and national attention. Past recipients include Wade Henderson (President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights), Dr. Frank Kameny (GLBT Rights Pioneer) and Johnny Barnes (Executive Director, ACLU of the Nation's Capital).
The 2011 Recipient: Peter B. Edelman
Peter B. Edelman's name is near the top of any list of people who have worked to make poverty and economic justice front-burner issues in the United States. He has spent much of the last four decades working to make the nation focus on poverty and find solutions that would make a difference, including being at the forefront of concerted efforts to make the welfare system more responsible, productive, and accountable, attempting to do so without making it harsh or inhumane. He has worked to make the country aware of the link between race and poverty as social injustices. He served as chair of the seventeen-member Access to Justice Commission for the District of Columbia, a panel studying ways to provide access to civil legal representation for those who cannot afford it.
Edelman has pushed for greater access to civic legal representation for low-income people and remains a leading advocate for ensuring that young lawyers commit to significant pro-bono work. He has been a strong voice for empowering communities and residents across the country to fight for better schools and for more say in the quality of education, but especially in the District of Columbia.
The Event
The inaugural Human Rights' Award Gala ‘19 on the 8th’ will be held on Thursday December 8, 2011 from 5 – 8 pm at the 20 F Street, NW Conference Center. The Awards Gala will feature the presentation of the Cornelius “Neil” R. Alexander Humanitarian Award to Professor Peter B. Edelman and the inaugural showing of creative works produced as part of the DC Youth Ambassador Contest. To RSVP, contact [email protected]. (Business attire preferred)