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State MLK Commission Seeks Nominations for Awards
Deadline is Oct. 7
Nominations are being sought for awards honoring Ohioans who
carry on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Awards honoring such individuals and organizations will be
given at the 2016 Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Commemorative Celebration being held Jan. 14, 2016, at
Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Columbus.
The award ceremony is sponsored by the Ohio Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission, which is a part of the
Equal Opportunity Division of the Ohio Department of
Administrative Services (DAS).
Nominations are due to the commission by Oct. 7.
The awards and their criteria are as follows:
Governor’s Humanitarian Award:
Nominees must be individuals who act independently of
associations and organizations. These individuals give their
time freely to those in need without question and often
without recognition. This award honors quiet soldiers who
promote the welfare of humanity and the elimination of pain
and suffering through their own selfless service, and
demonstrate a personal activism that has led them to render
unheralded long-term service to the community.
Community Building Award:
Nominees may be individuals or organizations who have made
significant contributions toward building a sense of unity
among Ohio citizens. Nominees have demonstrated the ability
to build safer communities through various area
revitalization activities and programs. Nominators must
demonstrate how the nominee has used Dr. King’s vision of
nonviolent social change to successfully bring people from
diverse backgrounds together to build a better community.
Cultural Awareness Award: Nominees must demonstrate an
appreciation for diversity and skill in building and
maintaining harmonious cross-cultural relationships.
Nominators should identify specific initiatives and
accomplishments that foster Dr. King’s vision of unity among
people of diverse cultural backgrounds.
Economic Opportunity Award:
Nominees may be municipalities, businesses or organizations
that seek to improve the quality of life for citizens in
economically challenged areas through economic incentive
programs. Nominees must demonstrate accomplishments in one
or more of the following areas: workforce training
development programs; upgrading skills of existing
workforce; infrastructure improvements; creation of
community partnerships; housing assistance programs; energy
efficiency programs; environmental programs; encouragement
of new business startups; or the ability to take advantage
of state and federal aid to provide economic opportunity.
Educational Excellence Award:
Nominees in this category have demonstrated a personal
commitment to scholarship and/or attainment of educational
goals despite significant barriers or obstacles. Nominees
must have successfully achieved progress in eradicating
systemic barriers that impede the attainment of academic
excellence. The activities/programs of the nominees could
include mentoring, tutoring, innovative pre-school programs,
highly effective pre-college programs or the provision of
scholarships, etc. Nominees must show a commitment to Dr.
King’s dream of social justice for all Americans through the
provision/use of equal access to the means/resources of
learning and the full utilization of educational
opportunities.
Health and Equity Award:
Nominees have offered exemplary community outreach and
educational programs for an under-served population in the
state. These services should increase the accessibility
(e.g., awareness, cost, transportation) of health care for
the under-served while providing a high quality of customer
service. Critical issues in achieving health equity and
awareness can include provisions for drug treatment, HIV
testing, screenings, prescription programs for the
uninsured/underinsured, prenatal care and pediatric care.
Organizations that provide health care and entities that
facilitate health care delivery services are eligible to
participate in this category. Nominations must document the
support of services that progress toward the realization of
Dr. King’s vision of an America that provides the real
promise and fulfillment of hope for the poor.
Social Justice Award: Nominees should have made significant
contributions to achieving justice for individuals or
communities. Nominees have made contributions through the
legal, legislative and governmental systems on behalf of
society’s more vulnerable populations. The nominees must
have participated in activities that embrace Dr. King’s
commitment to nonviolence while fostering social justice.
Youth: Capturing the Vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Award:
Nominees must be younger than age 21 on Sept. 2, 2015, and
demonstrate an adherence to one or more of Dr. King’s Six
Principles of Nonviolence: “Nonviolence is a way of life for
courageous people; the Beloved Community is the framework
for the future; attack forces of evil, not persons doing
evil; accept suffering without retaliation for the sake of
the cause to achieve the goal; avoid internal violence of
the spirit as well as external physical violence; and, the
universe is on the side of justice.”
For more information and a nomination form, visit
das.ohio.gov/mlk
or contact Bobbi Bell of the DAS Equal Opportunity Division
at 614-466-8380 614-466-8380
or
bobbi.bell@das.ohio.gov.
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