Former NBA All Star, Activists Headline 2009 Dr. Betty Bahiyah Shabazz Award Nominees

May 28, 2009 - PRLog -- Former NBA All-Star Alonzo Mourning, Activist Pam Africa, and Civil Rights leader & former NACCP President Myrlie Evers-Williams headline the nominees for the 2009 Dr. Betty Bahiyah Shabazz Award, Black Cotton Foundation's Chairman Raheim Singleton announced today. "Today, on what would have been Dr. Betty Shabazz' 75th Birthday, we are ecstatic to name this amazing group of individuals that we will take into consideration to receive this special award in November," said Singleton. "Their strength and resilience in overcoming their personal trials and tribulations, while still being such a positive light to the people in their communities, is something that should be commended and recognized. We hope to have made Dr. Shabazz smile today from up above."

Other nominees for the Dr. Betty Bahiyah Shabazz Award include motivational speaker and entrepreneur Ambassador Rahfael Gordon, police brutality activist Kadiatou Diallo, and community leader Judith Chandler. The recipients for the award will be chosen by a panel, including members of The Black Cotton Foundation's committee and advisory counsel, past award recipients, and members of Dr. Shabazz' family. The recipients for the award will be announced in September. The Award Ceremony is scheduled to be held in November at The Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, formerly known as The Audubon Ballroom.

The Dr. Betty Bahiyah Shabazz Award is given by The Black Cotton Foundation, a not-for-profit organization in the NY Metro area, to a person or family whose life and actions became a positive force in their communities despite suffering a tragic loss or facing many overwhelming obstacles of their own. Dr. Betty Shabazz overcame many obstacles in her life to become an iconic figure in our history. The Black Cotton Foundation dedicates this award to her in hopes that by passing on her legacy, the community will be influenced and inspired; her story shows that despite the obstacles and tragedies that we may face in our lives, we should never accept the ordinary and always go for the extraordinary. Past award recipients include William and Valerie Bell, Sigfrido and Reyna Gomez, Ericka Huggins, and Keyshia Cole.

For more information about the award and/or recipients, please contact Raheim Singleton at 718-415-0523 or email TheBahiyahAward@gmail.com.


About The Black Cotton Foundation



The Black Cotton Foundation is a community-oriented, not-for-profit organization that creates events and programs that benefit and inspire the poor and working class community. Its mission is to produce and promote events that will have a profound and positive effect on the community, as well as to educate people through observation and participation.

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About The Black Cotton Foundation

The Black Cotton Foundation is a community-oriented, not-for-profit organization that creates events and programs that benefit and inspire the poor and working class community. Its mission is to produce and promote events that will have a profound and positive effect on the community, as well as to educate people through observation and participation.