Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission accepting nominations for 2023 “Living the Dream” awards

Charleston, WV (WOAY) – The Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission is seeking nominations for the 2023 “Living the Dream “Awards.

Public members can nominate individuals and organizations as candidates for the awards. Completed nomination packets must be postmarked before 5:00 pm on Thursday, November 5.

Send nominations packets and supporting documents to:

Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission
“Living the Dream” Awards
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Building 1, Room 9R
Charleston, WV 25305

There are five award categories dedicated to honoring individuals who exhibit the principles and ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King’s pursuit of social change.

The individual award categories include:

  • The Advocate of Peace Award honors a person who has advocated social change in a non-violent way.
  • The Sharing of Self Award: This award recognizes a person who has rendered service to others in the public or private sector.
  • The Human and Civil Rights Award: This award recognizes a person who has been actively involved in the pursuit of equality for others and is an advocate for social change.
  • The Scholarship Award honors a person who has made significant contributions to education.
  • The Governor’s Living the Dream Award is the highest honor presented to an individual by the Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission. The Governor approves this award. It is given to a person who exemplifies all the characteristics of justice, scholarship, sharing of self, human and civil rights, and peace advocacy. In addition, the recipient must have a recognizable sense of civic awareness and public service.

The Commission also annually recognizes up to three service organizations across West Virginia for placement on the “Living the Dream Service Organization Honor Roll.” Qualifying organizations demonstrate one or more of Dr. King’s principles.

  • Service Organization Honor Roll: Qualified organizations may be honored for demonstrating one or more of the principles for which Dr. King stood: the promotion of human and civil rights, aiding under-served communities, promoting tolerance, and resolving conflict in a non-violent manner.

The Commission will present the awards on Monday, January 16, as part of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. holiday observance. Anyone interested in submitting a nomination can visit minorityaffairs.wv.gov to obtain a nomination packet.

Sponsored Content