MORGANTOWN – Morgantown attorney Amanda Ray and the West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness will be honored Sunday as recipients of the Morgantown Human Rights Commission’s annual Human Rights Day Awards.
A reception will be held from 4-6 p.m. at the Monongalia Arts Center (107 High Street).
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on Dec. 10, 1948.
In 2016, the Morgantown Human Rights Commission began observing the annual anniversary of the global pledge by recognizing one individual and one organization upholding the goals and ideals of the declaration here in Morgantown.
Commission Chairperson Annie Cronan Yorick calls Ray a, “one-woman human rights commission of her own,” who uses her legal expertise to aid victims of domestic abuse, often expecting little or no compensation in return.
Ray said she is “honored and surprised” to receive the recognition.
“I went to law school because I knew that an understanding of the law would allow me to help people and continue to work to make my community better,” Ray said. “I have spent my entire legal career mostly helping those who otherwise would not be able to afford an attorney through either legal aid or pro bono programs, referrals from rape and domestic violence organizations, and court appointed work.”
While WVCEH isn’t headquartered in Morgantown, it works directly in the community.
The organization specializes in rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing and street outreach as well as securing funds for other agencies, like Bartlett Housing Solutions.
Since 2013, the nonprofit has served 1,240 unduplicated individuals in Morgantown. WVCEH has aided 413 unique individuals here in 2023 alone.
WVCEH CEO Zach Brown expressed his gratitude for the honor and as well as the support provided by the city.
“Receiving this award is not just a moment of celebration for our organization, but a reaffirmation of the shared commitment within our community to uphold the dignity and rights of every individual, regardless of their housing situation. It reflects the tireless work of our dedicated team, the support of our partners, and the resilience of those we serve,” Brown said.
Cronan Yorick said it’s important to recognize the people and organizations upholding the ideals the city proclaims.
“We do this because the city has a lot of really good ordinances, resolutions, proclamations, etcetera regarding human rights. So, this is something that we do to back that up; to show that we’re talking the talk and walking the walk,” she said.
Sunday’s reception will also include a presentation from the Morgantown/Kingwood branch of the NAACP recognizing local high school student Zorrah Lawson for her artwork visualizing the 13th Amendment.
Previous Human Rights Day Award winners include:
2016 — Evan Hansen; PSALM Program at St. Francis School
2017 — Charlene Marshall; Community Coalition for Social Justice
2018 — Barbara Evans Fleischauer; Greater Morgantown League of Women Voters
2019 — Danielle Walker; West Virginia Innocence Project
2020 — Mavis Grant-Lilley; First Presbyterian Church
2021 — Bob Pirner; Milan Puskar Health Right
2022 — Ixya Vega; Hollar Health Justice
Additional information about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is available at un.org by following the “About us” and “UDHR” links.
The Morgantown Human Rights Commission currently has multiple openings. Members must be residents of the city. Applications are available at morgantownwv.gov.
