Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, Congressman Charles Rangel, CNN Commentator Roland Martin, and Radio Host Bev Smith among Spirit of Democracy Honorees

Gospel singer Shirley Caesar to perform live at awards dinner

Washington, DC - The Honorable Charles B. Rangel, Chair, Ways and Means Committee U. S. Congress;  Roland S. Martin, radio host and CNN commentator; Sheryl Lee Ralph, actress; and Bev Smith, host of American Urban Radio Networks, “The Bev Smith Show,” are among the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation’s (NCBCP) 2008 Spirit of Democracy Award recipients, NCBCP executive director & CEO, Melanie L. Campbell announced recently.   The Eleventh Annual Spirit of Democracy Awards Dinner will feature entertainment by gospel  legend Shirley Caesar, Wednesday, May 7, 6:30 PM at the Renaissance Hotel, 999 9th Street, NW,  Washington, DC.  For ticket information call (202) 659-4929

Derrick A. Humphries, Esq., executive director Black Congress on Health, Law and Economics, and the team at  American Urban Radio Networks will also be honored that evening.

Sponsored by General Motors Corporation, State Farm Insurance Company, AT & T and AMGEN, the Spirit of Democracy Awards are presented to individuals and organizations who have demonstrated a consistent commitment to creating balance in the democratic process and support the NCBCP's mission and vision of making civic participation a cultural responsibility and tradition.

Founded in 1976, the NCBCP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing African American participation in civil society.  The current programs and initiatives of the organization include Operation Big Vote!, Black Youth Vote!, Black Women's Roundtable, Voices of the Electorate, and the Unity Civic Engagement and Voter Empowerment Campaign. The National Coalition has trained and engaged African American leaders and community activists in overcoming institutional barriers that have hindered the growth of Black communities politically, socially and economically. For more information call 202-659-4929 or visit www.ncbcp.org.