DC Vote Honors 2013 Champions of Democracy

On October 10, 2013, DC Mayor Vincent Gray and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) were among the notable attendees at the DC Vote 2013 Champions of Democracy Awards Gala in Washington, D.C. DC Vote, a national educational and advocacy organization, hosted the annual event at the Mayflower Hotel. Other high-profile guests included NPR’s Diane Rehm, National Conference on Citizenship President and former DC Vote Executive Director Ilir Zherka, and DC Senator Paul Strauss.

Mistress of Ceremonies Karen Finney, host of MSNBC’s Disrupt with Karen Finney, joined DC Vote Executive Director Kimberly Perry to recognize 2013 Champions of Democracy honorees Mary Ann Stein, Veterans of the District of Columbia and Representative Jose E. Serrano (D-NY) for their dedication to fulfilling the promise of democracy. The occasion also featured remarks from the honorees, as they shared personal anecdotes and experiences regarding their advocacy efforts to protect and advance democracy here at home and abroad. Perry, the honorees and co-chairs Trish Vradenburg and Vinoda Basnayake mingled with guests during the pre-ceremony reception.

Before honoring a group of veterans from the District of Columbia, Mayor Gray remarked on how the federal shutdown only served to magnify the ramifications of District disenfranchisement. “The District of Columbia is not a federal agency,” Mayor Gray declared, eliciting applause and cheers from the audience. “And we’re not asking anybody for federal money. We’re simply asking for the authority to spend our own dollars.”

DC Vote co-founder and board member Daniel Solomon introduced Moriah Fund president Mary Ann Stein, citing her efforts to protect civil rights – in and outside of the District – over the last several decades. Rep. Eleanor Norton spoke on behalf of Rep. Jose Serrano: “Serrano has never forgotten his roots,” she noted, referring to the congressman’s Puerto Rican origins and his fervent efforts to end taxation without representation. “This is a man whose power of analogy is what I wish all Americans had.”

ABOUT THE HONOREES: Mary Ann Stein is an international philanthropist and president of Moriah Fund, a private foundation seeking to promote human rights and democracy, and to empower those who are disenfranchised. Ms. Stein began her career fighting for civil rights as an organizer in South Carolina in the 1960’s. Her experiences during that period have helped to shape the values and priorities of the Moriah Fund.Rep. Jose E. Serrano (D-NY) is an unwavering advocate for full democracy for the people of the District of Columbia. The former Chairman and current Ranking Member of the House Committee on Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, Rep. Serrano is a tireless defender of DC residents’ rights to spend their local tax dollars as they see fit.In December 2012, a group of veterans from the District of Columbia passionately advocated for Congress to approve a provision that would require the armed services to display the DC flag – conspicuously absent from previous armed service ceremonies, graduations or funerals – and the flags of the territories whenever the flags of the 50 states are displayed. Honorees included: Robert Vinson Brannum, Matthew J. Cary, Samuel E. McCoy, Jack Edward Evans Jr., James Nelson Rimensnyder, Nelson Rimensnyder, Al Schmidt, Stefan Stent, Barbara A. Pittman and Herbert R. Tillery.