Honk if you love equality!

 

 

The Human Rights Campaign’s “On the Road to Equality” bus tour begins this week! The HRC will be traveling nationwide to bring a message of dignity and respect for the LGBT community. The twelve week tour will travel to 17 cities in 11 states and D.C to raise awareness in areas where living openly and honestly can be difficult.

The tour will be visiting:

· Aug 12-14 Salt Lake City, UT

· Aug 18-21 Omaha & Lincoln, NE

· Aug 24-27 Lawrence, KS & Kansas City, MO

· Sept 1-5 New Orleans, LA

· Sept 8-10 Austin & College Station, TX

· Sept 15-18 Little Rock, AR

· Sept 22-25 Louisville & Lexington, KY

· Sept 30-Oct 3 Washington, DC

· Oct 6-9 Atlanta, GA

· Oct 14-16 Birmingham & Tuscaloosa, AL

· Oct 20-23 Jacksonville, FL

· Oct 27-30 Orlando, FL

… so be sure to come out and show your support! And if you don’t live along the tour route, you can still show your support by downloading the HRC equality car signs here.

Honk if you love equality!

Honoring Past Champions: August 2010 Dignity & Respect Champion Michael Smith

Through the upcoming weeks we will be recognizing past winners of our Dignity & Respect Champion Award. This week we honor Michael Smith, our August 2010 Champion.

Helping people find work who have not been given a chance before is exactly why Michael Smith loves his job. By helping those with mental challenges and financial struggles to lead more independent lives, Smith sees everyday how transforming opportunities restore dignity and respect in both individuals and communities. Nominated by Arlene Robinson and Kim Simpson, his colleagues at Goodwill, Smith is the recipient of last August’s Dignity & Respect Champion Award for his work as CEO, along with his dedication to the organization for the last 20 years.

There is still time to nominate your favorite champion of dignity and respect for our August 2011 honor. Do you know a person who works tirelessly to promote inclusion in your community? Let us know and let them be recognized!

Winner Announcement: July’s Champion of Dignity and Respect!

 

The Dignity & Respect Campaign would like to congratulate this month’s D&R Champion, Hilda Pang Fu!

Hilda Pang Fu, president and founder of Luminari. Nominated by Candi Castleberry Singleton, Hilda was selected for her work to broaden minds, inspire innovations, and promote a cultured community.  "With the I Want To Be An Ambassador! camp, Hilda has found an inspiring way to expose students to the art of diplomacy, and to challenge them to become better negotiators by letting them see for themselves that differences are barriers to progress only if we allow them to be,"  Candi says. Hilda exhibits dignity and respect in her daily life without giving it a thought, as she says it comes naturally to her.

Nominate your favorite dignity and respect champion and learn more about past champions here!

Multicultural Food Fest this Wednesday!

Let Us Continue to Honor All Our Dignity & Respect Champions!

We will soon be announcing this winner of July’s Dignity & Respect Champions Award!  

But there is still time to nominate your candidate for August: We invite everybody to go to the Dignity & Respect Campaign’s website and nominate a person who you believe best promotes inclusion, dignity and respect in your community. And in the upcoming weeks, we would like to take time out to remember some of our past champions as well.

Last July, Linda Demoise was awarded this honor for her daily work with students as the academic support coordinator for Investing Now, an engineering tutoring program at the University of Pittsburgh for high school students as well as college students in Pittsburgh. Linda Demoise said her job is the perfect opportunity to give back, challenge young people, and help them shape successful futures for themselves in exciting fields.

Demoise works directly with Hands-On-Science programs for pre-college students, where children get a chance to visit universities and learn more about careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Nominated by her colleague, Terri Kennelly-Cook, Demoise demonstrates her belief in treating all people with dignity and respect every day as she helps children to realize their potential, no matter their situation.

2011 National Veterans Wheelchair Games

 

The 2011 National Veterans Wheelchair Games are coming to Pittsburgh August 1-6, 2011!

This event showcases the athletic abilities of more than 550 wheelchair-bound veterans in 17 different events. It is the largest sporting event of its kind dedicated to showcasing the strengths of veterans who use wheelchairs due to spinal cord injuries, amputations and neurological diseases. The provide opportunities for both world-class champions and newly disabled Veterans to gain sports skills and be exposed to other wheelchair athletes.

But the Games need your help. Get involved now! Thousands of volunteers are needed so Volunteer for the 2011 Wheelchair Games here courtesy of our partners in dignity and respect Pittsburgh Cares. Or come to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on August 1^st at 6pm for the Opening Ceremonies and show your support for these American heroes! And check out the Games’ website for a full schedule of events.

A Celebration of Authentic Self

 

Pittsburgh Black Pride will host a Celebration of Authentic Self from July 28^th until the 31^st. The event kicks off at 5:30pm at the August Wilson Center when Board Members of Pittsburgh Black Pride will host an open meet and greet featuring refreshments, live acts and special guest speakers.

The fun and festivities will continue all weekend long and feature the The Aggressive One & Ms. Fem Pageant at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, a picnic in Highland Park, The Domination Ball, and so much more! Events will be occurring all over the Pittsburgh area so be sure to check out Pittsburgh Black Pride’s website for a full schedule of events. A full access pass an be purchased through the website for only $50 so be sure to register today!