Actor Forest Whitaker honored with Community Engagement Award
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Posted By: Reginald Culpepper on January 19, 2015 Actor Forest Whitaker is without a doubt one of the most celebrated actors of our day and rightfully so. From his early work in television on shows like TRAPPER JOHN (1979), HILL STREET BLUES (1981) to earning his way to star in films as PLATOON(1986), A RAGE IN HARLEM(1991), THE CRYING GAME (1992) to his present day work in THE GREAT DEBATERS (2007), BLACK NATIVITY (2013), THE BUTLER (2013), and of course there was the 2006 film THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND for which he won an Academy Award for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Mr. Whitaker has a career that spans decades in an industry that is surely a difficult terrain for African-American actors to navigate through and sustain. However, in the spirit of the late Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mr. Whitaker has used his courage and power in Hollywood to galvanize the industry into taking a closer look at the talent of African-American actors. In celebration of the late Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. the MLK Community Health Foundation held a "Celebrating The Dream Luncheon" on January 15, 2015 to applaud the efforts that created the reopening of the Dr. Marting Luther King Jr. Community Hospital. Mr. Whitaker was honored at this event, with over 600 civic, business, and philanthropic leaders looking on Mr. Whitaker graciously accepted his "Community Engagement Award" for his humanitarian efforts with the Whitaker Peace and Development Intiative. Media correspondent and Cheyney University of Pennsylvania alum Tanisha LaVerne Grant was on the red carpet for the "Celebrating The Dream Luncheon and had the opportunity to speak with Honoree Forest Whitaker, LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas, MLK Community Health Board member Sherry Lansing, and Attorney and Childrens Rights Advocate Areva Martin. These individuals shared not only the significance of the new Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital but also how the public can become involved in volunteering and the outreach programs available for students of Historical Black Colleges and Universities. For more information contact: Simran Sawhney Associate Director of Development MLK COMMUNITY HEALTH FOUNDATION 515 S. Flower St. Los Angeles, CA 90071 (213) 622-2344 www.mlk-chf.org WHITAKER PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE 1000 North Alameda St. Suite 104 Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 625-0410 www.wpdi.org info@wpdi.org If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Reginald Culpepper
President, Fulfillment and Web Services, HBCUCONNECT Clark Atlanta University class of 1998 Member Since September 2000 |
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