Submit nominations for the 2007 Racial Justice Awards

Award Purpose and Categories
Through the YWCA's Racial Justice Awards, the YWCA seeks to promote a society in which all people receive equal treatment and have equal access in the workplace, public services and spaces, through the justice system, in the classroom, and throughout the greater Pittsburgh community.

For the past 16 years, the YWCA's Racial Justice Awards have recognized people and organizations that have made a difference in promoting racial justice. To encourage broader implementation of positive actions and groundbreaking changes that forever serve to enable racial equity and bring about systemic change that creates a diverse community, in 2007 the YWCA is expanding its racial justice awards to include individuals and/or organizations in the following categories:

• Community Engagement


• Community Service and Public Safety


• Company / Business


• Education


• Government


• Legal

The awards will be made to salute individuals, companies, and/or organizations in each category that have implemented new laws, policies, practices, procedures, programs, guidelines, and similar sustainable actions that positively impact people of color in the broader society.

Nomination Process
An individual, organization, and/or company can nominate an individual, company, and/or organization in any one of the categories. Self-nominations are accepted as well. The nominee's actions should significantly benefit Pittsburgh area residents. The nominee should have undertaken a groundbreaking action within the past two years that should have made an irrevocable, positive change in how people are treated in the applicable category. Examples of fundamental changes that would have qualified in their time include actions leading to: the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Americans with Disabilities Act, Title 9 Legislation, the Home Rule Charter of 1998, the Saunders Taskforce, Small Business Administration, new workplace employment guidelines/policies, changes to procedures for counsel or law enforcement, legal or legislative actions, community event or activity, or creation of a new office or community program to enable fair treatment and inclusion for all, and similar efforts.

Nominations should be printed and submitted either electronically or via mail.
Get the form Online at: www.ywcapgh.org
Email: rja@ywcapgh.org
Fax: 412-391-5109 (Attention: Racial Justice Awards)

Mail: YWCA Racial Justice Awards, YWCA Greater Pittsburgh,
305 Wood Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

Attachments should be limited to 5 pages. NOMINATIONS ARE DUE TO THE YWCA BY 5:00PM EST AUGUST 24, 2007.

Award Selection
The YWCA's Racial Justice Award Committee, comprised of a broad cross section of Pittsburgh's community leaders, determines the award recipients . Each entry is judged on a sliding scale to identify:

• leadership taken to address racial inequity;


• quantifiable change that is now enabled;


• initiative taken to address the specific problem identified; and,


• timing, breadth of impact, and geographic scope of action.