Multicultural

New York City is widely considered to be one of the most diverse places on the planet, with residents from hundreds of different countries living within close proximity of each other. Queens in particular has a broad mix of ethnic populations, which have lead some to consider it the most culturally diverse area in the world. Yet, when Susan Lacerte became the Executive Director of the Queens Botanical Garden, she noticed that the diversity of the borough was not reflected in the Botanical Garden’s attendance. To challenge that, Lacerte started The Ambassador Program to reach out to ethnic communities and find out what they wanted in their public garden.

Inner-city Detriot may not be the first place one thinks of when looking to learn golf, but that is precisely where Renee Fluker founded her immensley successful Midnight Golf Program a dozen years ago. The program is a 30 week mentoring experience that not only teaches students about golf, but also about a number of essential life skills. The organization uses golf as a medium to teach children important life lessons, such as strategic thinking and how to deal with frustration and failure.

Charles Ansbacher Award

The Charles Ansbacher Award for Culture and Community honors the memory of Maestro Charles Ansbacher, who was named the “unofficial ambassador of America’s music” by President Bill Clinton. This award honors an individual who exemplifies community involvement by addressing the needs of underserved areas of culture and society.

Byron Rushing is being honored for advocating policies that preserve the history and promote the rights of our society’s most disadvantaged populations, including the African-American and LGBT communities.

The Honorable Byron Rushing is the second recipient of the Charles Ansbacher Award for Culture and Community. The award is in recognition of his appreciation for culture and active engagement in the community. Rushing first became interested in community engagement in the 1960s when he was an influential participant in the Civil Rights Movement, working with local Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) chapters on voter education campaigns in Boston and New York.

From 1972 to 1985, Rushing was the President of the Museum of African-American history in Boston, where he helped empower Massachusetts’ African-American population through public education and the preservation of culturally important historical sites.

Since 1982, Rushing has served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 9th Suffolk District and is presently the Majority Whip. One of the most senior members of the House, he has fought for expanded rights for minorities, women, and the LGBT community. For his admirable actions as both a politician and community leader, we are proud to present, with endorsement by Swanee Hunt, the Charles Ansbacher Memorial Award to Byron Rushing, a man who embodies the spirit of both culture and equity of the award’s namesake.

photo credit Deeply Rooted Productions

Founded in 1995 by dancers Kevin Iega Jeff and Gary Abbott, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater teaches and performs dance as creative expression and community and spiritual healing. Jeff calls it “world class art from a grassroots perspective.”

Working within an African American dance aesthetic, Deeply Rooted explores topics as varied as the Somali civil war and famine, the quest to live in the face of AIDS, and early-twentieth-century African American cultures. Jeff and Abbott’s choreography stresses both technical virtuosity and the deep exploration of character and community. As one dancer explains regarding Deeply Rooted’s Life, which deals with personal struggles to live with AIDS, “I know I’m telling experiences of things I see every day. Right outside these doors, there’s some things about this piece that are going on.”

photo credit LIVENorthern New Jersey’s LIVE (Lifelong Involvement for Vital Elders), an initiative of the Jewish Federation of Greater Metrowest New Jersey (UJC), works with local leaders to make the communities it serves better places in which to grow older. LIVE organizes recreational activities and personal-development programs that help older adults stay active and involved in their communities, thereby helping them to age in place and continue to contribute to their communities well into their older years. The activities offered by LIVE include yoga, Tai Chi, walking clubs, health workshops, and employment counseling. While LIVE is led by United Jewish Communities, it encourages participation from seniors of all ages and backgrounds.

photo credit Project SHINE

“When I first came to America, I only knew a couple letters.  I couldn't communicate with anybody.  And I learned about this program and I started (to learn English).  I have been here for three years and now I have built a basic vocabulary that I can carry my daily life.  It basically helped me to live in America." -Project SHINE participant

In the early 1980s, Nancy Henkin, founder and director of the Intergenerational Center at Temple University, was shocked by the news that loneliness and social isolation led an elderly Asian woman to commit suicide, at a time when it was commonly assumed that older immigrants were part of tight-knit and supportive communities. Henkin realized that older immigrants often struggle with language barriers, changes in customs, and differences in social roles more than their younger counterparts, and began working to establish a program that could support them.  Project SHINE was launched in 1985, to reach out and provide aging immigrants with language and cultural resources to help them adapt in their new community. 

The D.C. Office of Planning (OP) has awarded a $75,000 “ArtPlace Arts and Culture Temporium” grant to Partners for Livable Communities (Partners) to develop and manage temporiums in underutilized spaces in the Deanwood neighborhood, one of the District’s earliest African American communities.

Under this grant, Partners will develop and manage DeanwoodxDesign, a project that showcases the rich arts, cultural, historical, and green space assets of Deanwood and Ward 7 through a community-wide, intergenerational, and collaborative effort. This project engages artists and a diverse network of Deanwood institutions and stakeholders to cultivate community pride, showcase and create great art, and invigorate the creative economy.

"So, what is the point of public art? ” This question, posted online by Voice of San Diego's Kelly Bennett, came in response to the city of San Diego’s recent pull from public art funding; after its release on Twitter the post quickly turned viral. Responses to the post ranged from views of public art as superfluous and its place in the public sphere as luxury, to public art as necessary for community well-being, safety, and cohesiveness. 

Many of us believe in the arts as integral to the livable community— but when measuring out our federal dollars,  the arts are usually the first to go. But what if we could prove that in addition to instilling neighborhood pride and value in our public space, public art could actually serve as a deterrent for crime and violence?

Entrepreneurial American Leadership Award

For her extensive career in the preservation and promotion of local arts, culture, and heritage for our diverse American population.

Mount Rainier, MD

A non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, preservation, education, and development of Latin American art and culture.

Berkeley, CA

A cultural institution that embraces the arts as a means to examine deeper social issues.

This brochure highlights the prevalent issues of today affecting all of our communities and provides concrete examples of the myriad types of institutions that have become “Fulcrums of Change” for the betterment of the people and neighborhoods where they are located.

Minneapolis, MN

A central gathering place, market, and community center for members of the Minneapolis Latino community.

San José, CA

An arts organization teams up with a small, local business to create a central gathering place and cultural center within a struggling neighborhood.

Columbia, SC

A West African drum and dance ensemble that provides unique cultural exposure and an educational experience for community members of all ages.

Boston, MA

A cross-disciplinary coalition of institutions that have created an exciting series of educational programs to empower community residents.

Holyoke, MA

A grass-roots organization that promotes economic, social, and community development through food and agriculture projects.

Chicago, IL

A bilingual, youth operated community radio station that connects the Latino community and empowers underserved kids.

National

An organization that gives low-income families the tools to improve their lives by bringing them access to technology.

Queens, NY

A program that uses the rich cultural heritage of the community to engage and educate neighborhood youth