| ACLU Colorado

DENVER – On January 14, 2025, The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission will present ACLU of Colorado Executive Director Deborah Richardson and Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Colorado Access, Bobby King, with the Honorable Dr. Menola Upshaw Lifetime Achievement Award at the 34th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission Humanitarian Award and Concert.

This awards ceremony was founded by Wilma J. Webb, a trailblazer in Colorado politics and advocate for Colorado’s Black community, in 1991. It aims to honor the individuals, organizations, and businesses in Colorado who ensure that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy remains strong in Colorado.

Other award recipients include:

Dr. James T. Peters JR Humanitarian Award:
Bianka Emerson, Colorado Black Women for Political Action
Mayor Jacki Marsh, City of Loveland
Dr. Anne Garett-Mills, Chief Medical Officer at the Aurora Mental Health Center
Black Resilience in Colorado (BRIC) Fund
Urban Leadership Foundation

Dr. Charlzine Terry Nelson Pioneer Award:
Graham Heel, NAACP Boulder Board Member

Dr. Joyce Marie Davis Outstanding Youth Award:
Neveah Brown, George Washington High School Senior and Activist

The award ceremony will feature a catered dinner and concert by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, both of which are free. The commission will hold a press conference ahead of the event.

WHEN:
AWARD AND CONCERT: Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
PRESS CONFERENCE: Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at 10 a.m.

WHERE:
AWARD AND CONCERT: Boettcher Concert Hall at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts
PRESS CONFERENCE: MLK Monument at Civic Center Park

WEBSITE:
https://www.drmartinlkingjrchc.org/

Date

Monday, January 13, 2025 - 10:30am

Featured image

Deborah Richardson standing in front of a light brown brick wall, wearing a red jacket, arms crossed

Show featured image

Hide banner image

Tweet Text

Show related content

Menu parent dynamic listing

Show PDF in viewer on page

Style

Standard with sidebar

Show list numbers

Read more about ACLU of Colorado Executive Director and Colorado Access Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Both to be Honored with Lifetime Humanitarian Award

In this impact report, you will get an inside look at our work to end Pueblo's unconstitutional detention practices, our upcoming legislative agenda, our efforts to defend Danielle SeeWalker, a Native American artist, from censorship, and more.

We'll keep fighting in the courts, at the capitol, and in our communities. Together, we can make Colorado a firewall for freedom.

Smart Justice

Victory Against Pueblo’s Unconstitutional Detention Practices

Photo of Dean Lopez with his two attorneys, hugging, smiling

The ACLU of Colorado litigated to stop the city of Pueblo from unlawfully jailing people for hundreds of days without constitutionally required charging documents.

Privacy and Liberty

Defending Danielle SeeWalker Against Vail’s Retaliation

Photograph of Danielle SeeWalker in an art studio

Vail selected Ms. SeeWalker to be its Summer 2024 Artist in Residence, which would have involved painting a mural in the town and participating in additional engagements. After months of planning, Vail abruptly cancelled Ms. SeeWalker’s residency...

Be the Change You Want to See

With the results of the 2024 election in full focus, we are clear-eyed about the gravity of this moment in our country’s history. While there are enormous challenges ahead of us, they are not our destiny. The ACLU of Colorado’s commitment to make Colorado a beacon for civil rights and civil liberties remains stronger than ever.

Protecting Civil Liberties: A Legislative Look Ahead to 2025

With federal threats to our civil rights and civil liberties on the horizon, it’s more important than ever that we fight to protect Coloradans. In the 2025 legislative session, ACLU of Colorado will build on our previous work done in the 2024 session.

Photo of community partners and staff at the We Are The Vote launch event

A Groundbreaking Year for We Are the Vote

The 2024 election cycle was a landmark year for our We Are the Vote campaign, as we made unprecedented strides in mobilizing voters, protecting our personal freedoms, and pushing back against attacks on criminal legal reforms.

Systemic Equality

Pueblo Public Health Victory

We sued the city of Pueblo back in June on behalf of Colorado Health Network and the Southern Colorado Harm Reduction Association (SCHRA).

Meet Suzie Post, Our New Director of Philanthropy

We’re thrilled to welcome Suzie Post as the new Director of Philanthropy at the ACLU of Colorado! Suzie brings over 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and advocacy.