The Columbus Human Rights Commission is accepting nominations from the public for the William R. Laws Human Rights Award.

Molly Connor, deputy director of the Human Rights Commission, says that the recipient will be a member, a group or a community organization that has “made a substantial contribution to the community of Columbus in any area(s) of human equality.” The most recent award was presented to Gil Palmer, Lorraine Smith, and Arlette Cooper Tinsley. Other Laws Award recipients include Tom Harmon, Owen Hungerford, Bob Pitman, Tracy Souza, the Heritage Fund’s Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, Tim Solso and Joe Loughrey, Sondra Bolte, Benjamin “Mickey” King, and J. Irwin Miller.

Connor says that nominees for the award should have made a significant contribution by doing one or more of the following: (1) improving relationships among all people; (2) increasing the sensitivity of one group toward another group; (3) educating people about the barriers or eliminating the barriers facing people of color, women, persons with disabilities, religious minorities, or others who have been treated unequally because of prejudice; or (4) using existing means or creating new safeguards to protect the rights of others.

The Laws Award recipient will receive the award at the Human Rights Commission’s 2016 Annual Dinner. The date and location of the dinner have not yet been announced.

Connor says that nominations for the Laws Award should be submitted to the Human Rights Commission Office in City Hall no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb, 22. She adds that the Commission will accept nominations via mail, personal delivery, or e-mail. Connor says that nomination forms are available at the Human Rights Commission Office, as well as online at columbus.in.gov/human-rights/laws-award.

For more information, contact the Human Rights Commission at (812) 376–2532, or by e-mail at [email protected].