Oscar Romero Award Program: Moral Courage: Speaking Truth to Power (a discussion led by Kerry Kennedy)

Kerry Kennedy, human rights activist and daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, wants to show that confronting injustice can bring about change.

Join the Rothko Chapel for a discussion by Kennedy on moral courage – a program planned as part of the celebration of biennial Óscar Romero Awards.

Kennedy, who serves as president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, a Washington-based nonprofit, will lead a discussion entitled Moral Courage: Speaking Truth to Power at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct 8 at the Rothko Chapel, 3900 Yupon.

“Kerry Kennedy will talk about cultivating the moral courage required to create change in a world where calls for justice are too often met with oppression,” David A. Leslie, executive director of the Rothko Chapel, said.

This event is one of a number of programs planned by the Rothko Chapel to honor and celebrate the 2015 Óscar Romero Award recipients, Miriam Miranda andBerta Cáceres.

Miranda serves as executive director of Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña, a group that works to protect the land, cultural and civil rights of 47 indigenous Garifuna communities.

Cáceres serves as general coordinator of Consejo Civil de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras. For the last 20 years, she has worked to defend rights of campesino (peasant farmers) and indigenous Lenca descendant communities.

Both women are recognized leaders who share the spirit of the late Archbishop Óscar Romero of San Salvador, who worked tirelessly to fight against poverty and social injustice.

Romero was murdered in 1980 for his attempts to expose government corruption and to fight exploitation of the poor in El Salvador. Pope Francis beatified Romero on May 23.

The Rothko Chapel began honoring the Archbishop’s legacy in 1986, when the non-profit’s founder Dominique de Menil announced that the biannual award would go to individuals or organizations who demonstrate heroic efforts in the area of human rights.

“We’re recognizing courageous leaders, and we’re creating events where the community can hear the voices of remarkable people who face enormous economic and political pressures and personal peril to advocate for their causes,” Leslie said.

To register to attend 2015 Óscar Romero Award events, visit http://www.oscarromeroaward.org/.  Underwriting opportunities are also available. For more information, email [email protected].

For more information about the Rothko Chapel and its full calendar of upcoming programs, workshops and events, visit http://www.rothkochapel.org/  or call 713-524-9839.

About the Rothko Chapel
The Rothko Chapel is open to the public every day of the year at no charge and successfully interconnects art, spirituality and compassionate action through a broad array of free public programs. Founded by Houston philanthropists Dominique and John de Menil, the Chapel was dedicated in 1971 as an intimate sanctuary. Today it stands as a monument to art, spirituality and human rights. As an independent non-profit, non-governmental organization, the Chapel depends on contributions from foundations and individuals to support its mission of creating a space for contemplation and dialogue on important issues.

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