—5,000 to attend Unity Celebration and Boston Race Amity on the Rose Kennedy Greenway
More than 5,000 participants from across Massachusetts are expected to attend the 3rd annual Boston Race Amity Celebration at the Rose Kennedy Greenway on Sunday, June 9th, 2013 commencing at 1PM through 5PM. The event is free and open to the public. The Celebration, initiated by The National Center for Race Amity at WheelockCollege, is based on the principle that friendship developed between people is a lasting bond for bridging the racial divide. It will honor a tradition of cross racial/cultural friendships as a catalyst for equity and access in America. Both the Governor of Massachusetts and the Mayor of Boston have issued proclamations urging participation of Race Amity Day. The event organizers announced that a massive “We The People” proclamation banner supporting Race Amity Day will be on display for attendees to sign and presented for display at the state capitol building.
Highlights of this family friendly celebration will include live musical acts featuring Grammy Award performer Kendall Ramseur and singer Wilda Mendez, the poplar duo Lisa and Louie Bello, along with preteen anti-bullying performer Lynda Rose and B Capp. Other artists will offer Celtic, Latin, CapeVerdean, Gospel and Hip Hop music.Local television and radio personalities will serve as MCs during the afternoon program.
The centerpiece of the Race Amity Day Celebration is the Race Amity Treasure Hunt for adults and children. Modeled on the scavenger hunt concept attendees will move about the Greenway gathering cultural/racial related items on a check list, which are offered by various corporate, civic, and nonprofit organizations from exhibitor tents. Upon completion of gathering the items participants will turn in their treasure hunt card and draw for a prize from the Children’s Treasure Prize Box or the Adult Treasure Prize Box.
“Race Amity Day is a celebration of the human family”, said Dr. William Smith, founding Executive Director of the NationalCenter for Race Amity. “The center’s overall goal is to impact the public discourse on race by focusing on the other tradition, the tradition of close cross racial friendship and cooperation that has been the real propellant for access and equity in America.” Smith, an educator, is a decorated Vietnam Veteran, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and has a long history of service as an activist in promoting positive race relations.
More information on the Race Amity Day Celebration and the NationalCenter for Race Amity is available at http://www.wheelock.edu/ncra/.
ABOUT THE NCRA
The NationalCenter for Race Amity (NCRA) was established in January 2010. It is based at WheelockCollege in Boston, Massachusetts and received its founding grant from W.K. Kellogg Foundation. A sustainable organization, NCRA’s programs generate income to support itself and other programs benefitting first generation college students. The National Center for Race Amity has three primary initiatives, expansion of the Campus Conversations on Race model in a national network of colleges that employ the strategy of training student co-facilitators to guide peer group discussions on race and ethnicity; development of theater based race amity education programs targeting middle school students; and research and development of “The Human Being Curriculum®” for national and international dissemination. The center created the Towards E Pluribus Unum initiative which includes an annual National Race Amity Conference and the National Race Amity Medal of Honor (November 1-2, 2013 in Boston) and the campaign to have the US Congress establish National Race Amity Day.
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