2004 Walter Cronkite Faith and Freedom Awards Winners Announced
November 21st, 2004 by sfuqua
The Interfaith Alliance Foundation and Walter Cronkite announced in
October the recipients of the 2004 Walter Cronkite Faith and Freedom
Award: Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Bill Moyers, and Judith Davidson
Moyers.
Washington, Oct. 13 — The Interfaith Alliance Foundation and Walter
Cronkite are proud to announce the recipients of the 6th annual
"http://www.interfaithalliance.org/WCAwards">Walter Cronkite Faith and
Freedom Award. This year the award goes to Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Bill
Moyers and Judith Davidson Moyers. The award recognizes individuals who
courageously promote democratic values, defend religious liberty, and
reinvigorate informed civic participation.
Walter Cronkite and Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, President of The Interfaith
Alliance and The Interfaith Alliance Foundation, will present the award at 7
PM October 20th at the New York Palace Hotel in New York City.
The 2004 selection committee was The Honorable Gerald R. Ford, Honorary
Chair; Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell; The Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy; The
Honorable John Lewis; Professor Elie Wiesel and Ambassador Andrew Young.
Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr.
Recognized in 1996 by NEWSWEEK magazine as one of the 12 "most
effective preachers" in the English-speaking world, and designated as
one of "America's greatest Black preachers" by Ebony magazine
in 1984 and 1993, The Rev. Dr. James Alexander Forbes Jr. is the first
African-American and fifth Senior Minister of The Riverside Church in New
York City. Recently Dr. Forbes was featured in the New York Times for his
work to provide an alternative vision about religion in the 2004 election to
the one offered by religious conservatives.
Judith Davidson Moyers
Judith Davidson Moyers serves as president of Public Affairs Television,
Inc, an independent production company. Davidson Moyers is an insightful and
visionary producer supporting a common civic dream with her professional
partner Bill Moyers. Her commitment to creating thoughtful, provocative and
inspiring television programs is drawn from her priority for public discourse
that challenges, inspires and educates the public on their civic
responsibilities.
Bill Moyers
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences declared Bill Moyers
to be among the ten most influential journalists in television news. As one
of the most recognized and respected journalists in America, Moyers uses his
powerful voice of faith and reason from the platforms of television, books
and speeches for incisive commentary, probing documentaries, and considered
reflections on ethics and morality in American life. He retires this year
from the long-standing PBS program, "NOW with Bill Moyers," as the
most recent public example of his legacy of unwavering courage in the waves
of social and political challenge and change in America.
Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite is the former CBS Evening News anchorman whose commentary
defined America for almost two decades. His credo was to get the story,
"fast, accurate, and unbiased"; his trademark exit line was,
"And that's the way it is." Americans continue to hold him in
such high esteem (he has been repeatedly named "the most trusted man in
America") that his long-awaited autobiography, A Reporter's Life,
debuted at number one on the bestseller list in 1996.
Walter Cronkite joined with The Interfaith Alliance Foundation to endorse
its efforts to, in his words, "combat the excesses of the so-called
Religious Right, a group that organized nationally to push a political agenda
in the name of religious faith." In 1998 the Walter Cronkite Faith &
Freedom Award was established to honor individuals who embody the values of
civility, tolerance, diversity, and cooperation in the advancement of public
dialogue and public policy on traditionally controversial and divisive
issues.
Previous recipients have included Walter Cronkite; GLBT activist Donna Red
Wing; ABC News anchor, Peter Jennings; U.S. Representative Chet Edwards;
Oklahoma Observer editor "Frosty" Troy; NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw;
CNN's Larry King; Microsoft VP Jawad Khaki, founder of the Ithna-asheri
Muslim Association; U.S. Representative Amo Houghton; Rabbi Steven Jacobs,
leader in interfaith dialogue, racial justice and labor rights; Ms. Kusum
Patel, founder of the Gayatri Parivar Yug Nirman Hindu spiritual center; Rev.
Dr. James C. Miller, Executive Minister of the Rhode Island State Council of
Churches; and Rev. Chris Doss, Director of the Center for the Study of Law
and Church at Samford University.
Several hundred supporters and friends of The Interfaith Alliance at the
gathering will also honor the founders of The Interfaith Alliance as the
organization celebrates its tenth anniversary.
