[Press Release] : FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2011 Columbia Values Diversity Awards

[Press Releases]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2011
 
CONTACT: Division of Human Services 
(573) 874-7488 (v)
874-7356 (tty)
 
Rev. Dick Blount & Center for Multicultural Research, Training, and
Consultation named diversity award winners
            (COLUMBIA, MO) –  The 14th Annual Columbia Values Diversity
Awards were presented at this morning’s Columbia Values Diversity
Celebration at the Holiday Inn Select Expo Center.
Rev. Dick Blount was named the winner of the individual award and the
Center for Multicultural Research, Training, and Consultation was the
winner of the group award.           The awards are given to an
individual and a group that have made significant contributions in
promoting appreciation for diversity and cultural understanding in
Columbia.
 
Rev. C. Richard “Dick” Blount
The Columbia Values Diversity Award for individuals was presented to
Rev. Dick Blount whose contributions to the issues of social justice and
civil rights span over the last 50 years. Like Dr. King, Rev. Blount has
had a lifelong calling to social action driven by his faith. His career
has included being a Methodist minister, the Executive Director of the
Missouri Association of Social Welfare, and a long-time public
administrator with the State of Missouri.
 
In his capacity as a minister, Rev. Blount has worked for social
justice both within in the church and in the community. Dating back to
America’s civil right’s movement, Rev. Blount was a key leader in the
Kansas City community in promoting peaceful and just solutions to racial
tensions. While Rev. Blount’s approach to promoting racial equality was
always peaceful in nature, at times the response was not. For example,
in the early 1960’s he publicly challenged the City of Fayette’s policy
of excluding African Americans from its public pool, a stance which was
not popular at the time and resulted in threats against Rev. Blount and
his family.
 
As a public servant, Rev. Blount spent seventeen years implementing and
administering the anti-poverty Women, Infants, and Children or “WIC”
program in Missouri. He also worked extensively at the national level to
ensure that WIC policies were fair and just so that the program
effectively served persons in need.
 
In addition to addressing the issues of poverty and race, Rev. Blount
has long promoted acceptance and understanding of homosexuality and
equality based on sexual orientation. His work on this issue dates back
to the early 1970’s when he fought for inclusiveness of LGBT individuals
in the church. Even in retirement, Rev. Blount has continued his efforts
in this area, publicly calling for the establishment of a domestic
partnership registry in Columbia and forming the Open Door Ministry
which works to foster understanding of LGBT individuals and their
families.
 
No matter what the job he is performing or the issue he is addressing,
a common thread can be found throughout Rev. Blount’s work… the peaceful
pursuit of equality, dignity, and justice for all. It is for this reason
that the life of Rev. Dick Blount exemplifies the life and teachings of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
 
Center for Multicultural Research, Training, and Consultation
The 2011 Columbia Values Diversity Award for Groups was presented to
the Center for Multicultural Research, Training, and Consultation, an
organization that strives to prevent prejudice and increase
multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills on the MU campus and in
our community.
 
The Center’s work targets children and educators with the goal of
dismantling prejudice and discrimination at an early age in order to
prevent future inequality at the systematic level. Specifically, the
Center conducts diversity workshops in our public schools, on campus, an
in the community. Each year, these workshops reach hundreds of children
and educators in our community in addressing the issues of prejudice,
discrimination and social inequality.
 
Promoting appreciation for diversity and cultural understanding…it is
for these reasons that the purpose and the work of the Center for
Multicultural Research, Training, and Consultation exemplify the life
and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.