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"Living the Dream"
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In observance of the King Federal
Holiday, CORE-The Congress of Racial Equality host an annual
Ambassadorial Reception and Awards Dinner in New York City. This event
has grown to become one of the largest events in the country honoring
Dr. King with more than 2,000 people from all walks of life attending
each year. On these occasions we seek to bring together the most diverse
elements --internationally and domestically--to reflect on how far we
have come and commit to even greater progress in the areas of, world
peace, justice and brotherhood. We also use these occasions to recognize
individuals, who through their words and actions, have helped to further
equality.
The Act creating the holiday was
passed after more than sixteen years of effort
 by
countless friends and supporters of
Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Support for the legislation came from
all walks of life -- from members of Congress, the White House, business
and labor, from civil rights and religious groups -- and, most
important, from those individuals who have worked continuously to make
his dream a reality.
Congress set aside the third Monday of January as the official
Federal Holiday, Martin Luther King, Jr's actual birthday is January
15th. According to the Act, "the holiday should serve as a time
for Americans to reflect on the principles of racial equality and
nonviolent social change espoused by Dr. King.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission has adopted "Living
The Dream" as the official theme for celebrating this country's newest
national holiday. The theme expresses the message and inspiration
Dr. King generated among Americans in his dream and what that dream
awakened in America.
CORE's first King Holiday Celebration was held in 1984--one year
before the official holiday went into effect. Over the years, CORE's
King Holiday Celebration has attracted the support and participation of
leaders in the business, celebrity, diplomatic, civic, entertainment,
religious and philanthropic communities. In 2002, the organization
dedicated the event to the victims and heroes of the September 11th
terrorist "Attack on America". We honored the
Policemen, Firefighters and EMS workers who lost their lives in the
World Trade Center while trying to save others. We also honored the
crews of the 4 airplanes that the terrorist used. This award was
accepted by
Ms.
Melonie Homer, widow of Captain J. Homer, co-pilot of United
Airlines Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania.
Howard
Lutnick, President of Cantor Fitzgerald, Inc., who lost more that
400 employees, accepted an award on behalf of those who perished when
the World Trade Center collapsed and
Nino Vendome,
owner of Nino's restaurant in lower Manhattan, who opened his kitchen to
feed thousands of rescue workers involved in the recovery effort for
free, accepted an award on behalf of the thousands of volunteers. The
NYPD
Pipes & Drums band performed Amazing Grace in a special tribute to
the victims and heroes of that tragic event.
Mayor Bloomberg
presented CORE Chairman, Roy Innis with a special Proclamation.
Individuals who have Chaired or participated in the event include:
First
Lady, Laura Bush, who delivered the keynote speech at the January
2003 event and
Senate
Majority Leader, Dr. Bill Frist
(2003). From the business community: Michael
Armstrong, Chairman & C.E.O. of A T & T (1999);
John Chalsty,
Chairman & C.E.O. of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (1996);
Michael Jordan, Former Chairman of
Westinghouse\CBS and Chairman of the United Negro College Fund (1996);
Nobel Peace Prize winner, Norman Borlaug
(2000), William Lavin,
Chairman of Woolworth Corporation (1994); Richard
Jalkut,
President of NYNEX-NY (1994). Danny Burke,
Former President of Capital Cities/ABC (1989);
Robert Wright, President & C.E.O. of NBC,
Inc.; Roger Werner, former Chairman of
ESPN (1991);
Paola
Costa,
Chairman of Novartis Pharmaceuticals (2004);
Bob Dubrish, President & C.E.O., Option One Mortgage Corp.
(2004);
Ray
Gilmartin, Chairman of Merck & Company, Inc.(2004);
Hugh Grant, Chairman & C.E.O. of Monsanto (2005);
Rich Bagger, Vice-President of Pfizer, Inc.
(2006) and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,
H.E. John Bolton (2007).
From the diplomatic community:
H.E. Thomas Pickering, former U.S. Ambassador
to the United Nations (1992); former U.S. Ambassador to Italy,
Maxwell Rabb (2000);
H.E. David Peleg, Ambassador to the United
Nations from Israel (1997); H.E. Hisashi Owada,
(1995) Ambassador to the United Nations from Japan and
H.E. Sergei Lavrov, Ambassador to the
United Nations from the Russian Federation (1997)
From the music, film, sports and entertainment industries:
Jerry
Lewis (1991),
Alan King (1990),
Tony Randall (1994),
Norman Brokow, Chairman & C.E.O. of the
William Morris Agency (1998); Sol Kerzner,
Chairman & C.E.O. of Sun International (1998).
Harvey
Weinstein,
Co-Chairman of Miramax Films (1996); director
Martin Scorsese; TV personality,
Florence Henderson
(2000); actors Frank Sinatra (1990),
Kirk Douglas (1994),
Charlton Heston
(1991),
Gregory Peck (1993);
Paul Sorvino (1996);
Roger
E. Mosley (2000) and
Anthony
Quinn (1992);
Clive Davis, Chairman & C.E.O. of Arista Records (1990);
recording artist
Meli'ssa Morgan (1994);
Robert
"Kool" Bell from Kool & the Gang (1992); actress
Clarice Taylor from the "Cosby Show" (2000); Recording Group,
Blue Magic (2001); World Famous Latino Group,
Projecto Uno (2001); boxer
Roberto
Duran (1995);
Francis Preston,
President of BMI, Inc. (1991); recording artist
Regina
Belle (1992); WWOR News Anchor
Brenda Blackmon
(1999); actress
Jane
Fonda
(1998); boxing promoter
Don
King
(1998); former Miss. America
Suzette Charles (1992); Morton Gould,
Chairman of ASCAP (1992),
Tony LoBianco (1993); actress
Eartha Kitt
(1995); legendary sportscasters
Howard Kossell
(1992) and
Burt Sugar
(1999);
Henny Youngman
(1993); Boxing great,
Sugar Ray Leonard (1993) football Hall-of-Famer,
Lawrence
"LT" Taylor
(1995); comedian/actor
George Wallace
(2003); American Idol winner,
Ruben
Studdard
(2004); R & B Recording Artist, Leylah Hathaway, (2005); the "Singing
Policeman", Danny Rodriguez (2005) and TV & Radio talk show personality,
Sean Hannity (2005);
The cast of the hit Broadway Musical "The Color Purple" produced
by Oprah Winfrey (2007); Actress Lynn Whitfield (2008); Legendary
Singer, Pat Boone (2009).
From the civic and labor communities: Presidential Candidate,
Senator
Orin
Hatch (2000); Secretary of HUD and Vice-Presidential candidate,
Jack
Kemp (1997),
Jack Barry, International President of the
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (1993); businessman and
civil rights worker
Joseph Lovece, Jr. (1998); Chairman of the RNC,
Jim
Nicholson (2000); Chairman of Fugazy International,
William "Bill" Fugazy; artist
Peter
Max (1995);
Cindy
Adams &
Joey Adams
(1995); attorney
Barry
Slotnick (1990); New York's
Mayor Rudy Guiliani
and wife
Donna Hanover
(1995); NYC Council Speaker
Peter Vallone (1999) State Senator
Rev. Ruben Diaz and
Michael Thomas, Councilman from the Mashantucket Pequot
Indian Tribal Nation (1996).
The list of Honorees includes several notables such as: Nobel Peace
Prize laureates
Elie
Wiesel (1990) and Dr. Norman Borlaug (2005); former Secretary of
State
James Baker
(1992); Secretary Generals of the United
Nations Javiar Perez de Cuellar (1991) and
Boutrus Boutrus Ghali (1997); Under-Secretary General of the U.N.
Ibrahim Gambari (2000);
Rev.
Leon Sullivan (2001); former Governors
Thomas Kean
of New Jersey (1990) and the first African- American elected Governor,
Douglas Wilder
of Virginia (1995); former LA County Prosecutor,
Marcia
Clark (1996); Civil Rights veteran & Chairman of Innercity
Broadcasting,
Percy
Sutton (1999); Neurosurgeon
Dr.
Benjamin Carson;
desert storm hero
Lt.
Gen. Calvin Waller; the first African-American female
astronaut,
Dr.
Mae Jemison; music and entertainment legends
Whitney Houston
(1990),
B.B.
King (2001);
Patti
LaBelle (1990),
Janet
Jackson
(1995),
Dionne
Warwick (1992),
Nancy Wilson (1993),
Michael
Bolton (1996),
Leonard Bernstein (1991),
Charlie
Pride (1993),
Mitch
Miller (1995),
Leslie
Uggams (1994),
Ashford & Simpson
(1997),
Brandy (2000) and
Toni Braxton
(1999); film and stage legends
Richard
Pryor (1994),
Morgan
Freeman
(1991),
Robert
DeNiro (1993),
Audrey Hepburn (1993),
Oliver
Stone (1992),
Susan
Lucci
(1994),
James
Earl Jones
(1996),
Gordon
Parks (2000) and
Samuel L. Jackson
(1998); sports legends Willie Mays
(1991), Roy Jones, Jr.
(1996), World Heavyweight Champion
Evander Holyfeld (1998) and
Muhammad
Ali
(1992); Olympic Champions
Carl
Lewis (1997) and
Jackie
Joyner-Kersee (1993); media giants
Ted
Turner
(1998),
Bryant Gumbel (1990),
Howard Rubenstein (1990),
Bernard
Shaw (1993),
Connie Chung
(1996), Jazz Legend
Roy
Ayers
(2003), Hero NY Police Officer
Richard O'Neill
(2003) Baseball Legend
Hank
Aaron (2003) Mother of the modern day civil rights movement,
Mrs
Rosa Parks (2003); Chairman of the American Conservative Union,
David Keene (2004); California
Supreme Court Justice,
Janice Rogers Brown (2004); Special Assistant to
President Bush, Mr. Karl Rove (2005); and Iraq war hero,
Brigadier General Vincent Brooks
(2004); Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Dr. Norman
Borlaug (2005); Usher Raymond, IV
(2006); Citizens of the State of Mississippi
(2006); Dr. Frederick K. C. Price
(2007); Ms. Ayaan Hirsi Ali (2007);
The Mighty Sparrow (2007);
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (2007); Bishop
T.D. Jakes (2008); Senator George McGovern (2009); James Chaney,
Andy Goodman, Michael Schwerner (2009).
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