Ending the Year with Inspiration at Tennessee’s Human Rights Day Celebration

On December 10, 2012, Nashville’s North Precinct saw its community room packed with leaders and officials from across the state coming together to celebrate the victories won for human rights this year. The occasion—Human Rights Day.

Three lifetime advocates received awards for their work, including the Rev. Bill Barnes who has been a freedom fighter in Nashville for over half a century, attorney George Barrett who has been defending the underdog since the 1960s and Rosetta Miller-Perry who fought the civil rights fight and is the first black female publisher in Tennessee with her Tennessee Tribune newspaper.

“Rising Advocate” awards were given to individuals who show great promise in the field of human rights. This year, those taking up the torch included Daoud Abudiab of the Islamic Center of Columbia and Cecilia Gomez who works for Free for Life International as well as Conexion Americas.

The program featured a panel discussion on the event’s theme: “Building a Culture of Human Rights.” Panelists were Rev. Sonnye Dixon who serves as President of the Interdenominational Ministers Fellowship, Alistair Newbern of the Metro Human Relations Commission, and Patricia Pierce of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission. Caroline Blackwell, Director of the Metro Human Relations Commission moderated the panel with insightful questions tackling which human rights the panelists feel they are most challenged to adhere to.

Singer and songwriter Ross Falzone performed two songs at the celebration and Sean Smith of Southern Word performed two poems about human rights, each time receiving standing ovations.

A committee of governmental and nonprofit organizations including the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Metro Human Relations Commission, United Nations Association, Church of Scientology and others collaborated to plan the event.

For more information or to become involved with Human Rights Day, visit www.nashvillehumanrights.org.

(2012-12-18/pr)