Tennessee Human Rights Day Celebration to Honor Human Rights Heroes

The Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day will take place in Nashville at the First Amendment Center on December 6th, 5pm – 7pm.  

The Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day will take place in Nashville at the First Amendment Center on December 6th, from 5pm – 7pm.  The celebration centers around the presentation of awards to human rights champions in three categories: Rising Advocate, Outstanding Service and Lifetime Achievement. Past recipients of these prestigious honors have included the Rev. Bill Barnes, Rev. James “Tex” Thomas, Rosetta Miller Perry, Father Joseph Breen, Avi Poster, Yuri Cunza and many more.

A committee of human rights organizations and nonprofits, including the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Metro Human Relations Commission, United Nations Association, UNICEF, Tennessee Board of Regents, Amnesty International, Tennessee United for Human Rights, the Church of Scientology, Muslim Women’s Council and others, work together each year to plan the event.

This year, Rising Advocate Awards will be given to three individuals who have made great strides for human rights and show even greater promise for the future. They are Anna Carella, who has worked both locally and in other parts of the world to help others in need and most recently with Advocates for Women’s and Kids’ Equality (AWAKE); Justin Jones, a Fisk University senior who has already proven himself as a strong advocate for social justice and peace by organizing several events, marches and protests with the purpose to help others; and Mohamed Shukri, who works with the Tennessee Immigrants and Refugee Rights Coalition, American Center for Outreach and was on the first Mayor’s New Americans Advisory Council.

The award winners in the category of Outstanding Service are Juan Canedo for his work on issues that affect the wellbeing of the Hispanic community and the community at large, with particular emphasis on empowering Hispanic immigrants; and Derri Smith, who is the Founder and Executive Director of End Slavery Tennessee.  

The Lifetime Achievement award this year is going to Dr. Charles Kimbrough, a longtime civil rights activist who established and organized NAACP chapters in four different cities across the South and served as President of the Nashville Branch, where he saw a surge in chapter membership, addressing civil rights issues within the local African American community.

International Human Rights Day occurs every year to commemorate the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations on Dec 10, 1948. The theme for 2016 is “Hidden in our Midst: Child Trafficking in Tennessee,” and the planning committee is bringing together experts for a public conversation at the event.

The event this year is ticketed at $10, with proceeds going to a Tennessee non-profit dedicated to human rights. For more information or to reserve a seat, visit www.nashvillehumanrights.org.