Press Releases
Bill Cosby & John Legend to Headline National Action Network 14th Annual Keepers of the Dream Awards
—BILL COSBY & JOHN LEGEND TO HEADLINE NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK 14TH ANNUAL KEEPERS OF THE DREAM AWARDS—-
RICHARD PARSONS, DENZEL & PAULETTA WASHINGTON, & DOUG MORRIS AMONG THE 14TH ANNUAL NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK KEEPERS OF THE DREAM AWARD RECIPIENTS
April 18, 2012 (New York, NY) Reverend Al Sharpton and National Action Network (NAN) will host its 14th Annual Keepers of the Dream Awards Wednesday, April 18th, 2011 at Cipriani Wall Street. The awards, given each year in April to mark the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s death, honor those who have continued to advocate for the principles for which Dr. King gave his life. Last year, the event featured a special keynote address by the President of the United States Barack Obama.
The Keepers of the Dream awards are given by members of the civil rights community who have committed themselves to fairness and racial harmony. Among the honorees this year are: Richard Parsons Chairman of Citigroup and the former Chairman and CEO of Time Warner, Denzel & Pauletta Washington, Karla Ballard, Chief of Strategic Development, Media and National Partnerships One Economy and Doug Morris CEO of Sony Music Entertainment. There will be special remarks by Bill Cosby and a special performance by John Legend.
The Keepers of the Dream Awards are the highlight of NAN’s annual convention. This year National Action Network convened in Washington, DC from April 11-14 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and featured a who’s who in politics, civil rights, education, business, the church, Corporate America and much more. The four day event consisted of a series of plenary sessions, panels and special events that included the Attorney General of the U.S. Eric Holder, The family of Trayvon Martin, Harvard University Professor Dr. Charles Ogletree, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, David Gregory (NBC’s Meet the Press Moderator), U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. The convention closed with a televised symposium that took place at Howard University entitled: “Measuring the Movement” that featured victims of gun violence and their families including Sean Bell’s widow Nicole Paultre Bell and Kadiatou Diallo the mother of Amadou Diallo.
The first annual Keepers of the Dream Awards Gala was held by National Action Network (NAN) in 1999. The event was hosted by Reverend Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III, son of the late great Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Keepers of the Dream Awards were established to honor the legacy of one of the greatest men in history through the recognition of those who continued to promote the doctrines that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his life for, in their respective fields of work. Previous honorees include: Coretta Scott King , Mariah Carey, Cicely Tyson , Wyclef Jean, Magic Johnson, Phil Griffin (President of MSNBC), James Brown, Attorney Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., Sean Diddy Combs, Robin Roberts (GMA) , LeBaron Taylor, Myrlie Evers Williams, Earl Graves, Sr., William Lucy, Wyatt Tee Walker, Michael Baisden, Lyor Cohen, Jeff Zucker, Donald Coleman, Global Hue, Russell Simmons, L.A. Reid, Geraldo Rivera, Jann Wenner, Rolling Stone Magazine, Soledad O’Brien (CNN) and more.
What: The Keepers of the Dream Awards
Where: Cipriani Wall Street – 55 Wall Street/NYC
When: Wednesday, April 18, 2011
Reception — 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Photo Opportunity – 7:50 p.m.
Dinner – 8:00 p.m.- 9:30 p.m.
To register for the photo opportunity (credentialed media only) [email protected]