For release: March 24, 2008
Arlette Cooper Tinsley, Director
Human Rights Commission
(812) 376-2532

The Columbus Human Rights Commission is pleased to announce that Sondra Bolte has been named the recipient of its 2008 William R. Laws Human Rights Award. Ms. Bolte will be honored at the Commission’s annual dinner which will be held on April 10, 2007 beginning at 6:30 at the Holiday Inn Conference Center . Tickets can be purchased by sending a check for $25.00 per person to the Human Rights Commission, City Hall, 123 Washington Street , Columbus , IN 47201 , or tickets can also be purchased in person at the Commission office. Deadline for purchasing tickets is Thursday, April 4, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. EARLY TICKET PURCHASE IS RECOMMENDED, as annual dinner tickets have sold out at this location and a waiting list had to be created in previous years. For further information, call 376-2532.

Ms. Bolte received several nominations from the community which cited her many accomplishments in the area of human rights. After reviewing the letters of nominations, Commissioners determined that Ms. Bolte met the Laws Award criteria in advancing the goal of human equality in the community. The vote was unanimous. The Laws Award honors a person who has made a significant contribution by doing one or more of the following: 1) improving relationships among all peoples; 2) increasing the sensitivity of one group toward another group; 3) educating people to the barriers or eliminating the barriers facing people of color, women, persons with disabilities, religious minorities, or others who have been treated inequitably because of prejudice; or 4) using existing means or creating new safeguards to protect the rights of others. The Commission received nomination letters citing Ms. Bolte’s human rights work in all four categories. One nomination letter noted that Ms. Bolte helped initiate and facilitate community “Face to Face” dialogues to discuss issues that divide people. Ms. Bolte was also cited for work in helping organize the Columbus community breakfast on Dr. Martin Luther King Day prior to the Mayor taking on the event’s leadership. A lifetime member of the NAACP, Ms. Bolte helped organize the first Gay/Straight Alliance meetings in Columbus and in her role as G/SA co-facilitator, she helped advance change in the human rights rules and regulations to include additional types of discrimination including age sexual orientation or gender identity. Ms. Bolte has served on the board of United Way ’s Family Services and has served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA volunteer). She was critical in the conception and success of Columbus Area AIDS Action to create educational opportunities and to bring AIDS awareness to the forefront in Columbus . Ms. Bolte helped organize and lead the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus, Indiana and helped start and lead the local Inclusive Community Coalition.

Past recipients of the award include J. Irwin Miller, Madelynn Smith, Rev. Duff Green, Rev. Charles Sims, Larry Whaley, Rev. John Bean, Ted Marston, Richard Stoner, Bill Barton Larry Snyder, Barbara Wrighthouse, Gwen Wiggins, Charles Imel, Joseph High, Mayor Robert Stewart, Barbara Stewart, Lee Hamilton, Jim Henderson, Benjamin “Mickey” King (posthumously), Juana Watson and The Honorable Mayor Fred Armstrong.

The Commission’s Essay & Poster Art Contest winners also will be honored at the Dinner. The keynote address will be given by former commissioners in commemoration of the Commission’s 45th anniversary who will give reflective remarks on each decade of the Commission’s existence from the 1960’s through 2000 and what the future holds. Former Commissioners providing the keynote will be Owen Hungerford who will speak on the decade of the 60’s, Brenda Pitts speaking on the decade of the 70’s, Tracy Souza, who will speak about the decade of the 1980’s, Madhu Vedak, the 1990’s and Gil Palmer 2000 and beyond.

The Holiday Inn location is wheelchair accessible. For any other reasonable accommodation or for other accommodations including vegetarian meal options, persons should contact the Commission in advance so that arrangements can be made.