Trekkie Takei and “Dancing’s” Burke Among Diversity Award Honorees

SAG, AFTRA & EQUITY PRESENT 2009 IVY BETHUNE TRI-UNION DIVERSITY AWARDS
TO GEORGE TAKEI, CHERYL BURKE, CHARLIE HILL AND DR. VICTORIA ANN LEWIS
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EVENT: Monday, June 29, 2009 – East West Players Theater in Downtown Los Angeles

What: The Ethnic Employment Opportunities Committee of Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Equal Employment Opportunities Committees of Actors' Equity Association (AEA) and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) present the 7th annual Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Awards.

Who: Honorees George Takei (“Star Trek,” “Heroes”), actor and activist; “Dancing with the Stars” performer Cheryl Burke; actor, writer and teacher Dr. Victoria Ann Lewis; and stand-up comedian/storyteller Charlie Hill.
Also scheduled to appear: Sabrina Bryan ("Cheetah Girls"), actor Larry Omaha, Robert David Hall ("CSI"), Max Gail ("Gary Unmarried"), East West Players producer Tim Dang, James Kyson Lee ("Heroes"), Vik Sahay ("Chuck"), Romi Dames ("Hannah Montana"), Michelle Harris, Host ("Alive and Well"), Mimi Michaels ("Boogeyman 3"), voiceover artist Richard Epcar, voiceover artist Ellyn Stern, actor Malcolm Jamal Warner, Reginald Hayes ("Girlfriends"), Amy Hill ("General Hospital") and singer D Woods of Danity Kane.

When: Monday, June 29, 2009; Media reception begins at 6:15 p.m. for press interested in interviewing honorees and attending VIPS. A reception for the public begins at 7 p.m. The 90-minute ceremony begins promptly at 8 p.m.

Where: East West Players' David Henry Hwang Theatre (120 N Judge John Aiso Street in Downtown Los Angeles). Parking for the evening is free in Lot 7, directly behind the theater.

Details: Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Awards celebrate individuals and organizations in the performing arts that have taken an active stand to make a difference toward a more representational, multicultural community by helping build a foundation for diversity within the industry. This year's theme, "Storytellers," commends individuals who, through sharing their own stories, have encouraged cross-cultural understanding as well as enabled others to express their dreams and creativity.

The honorees for 2009 are: Actor George Takei (Tri-Union) for his long-standing history of activism for artists of every race and creed, in addition to his very high profile work on issues of marriage equality and sexual orientation discrimination; “Dancing With the Stars’” Cheryl Burke (AFTRA) who encourages children of all ethnicities to express themselves through movement; Charlie Hill (SAG), a Native American stand-up/storyteller who uses humor to share both things unique to Native American culture and things we all share; and Dr. Victoria Ann Lewis (AEA), writer, actor and teacher who in 1981 established the Other Voices Project at the Mark Taper Forum, dedicated to cultivating and producing writers and performers with disabilities.

Previous Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Award honorees include April Webster, Tim Dang, Debbie Allen, Raven-Symoné, Robert Guillaume, Ossie Davis, lyricist E. Y. Harburg, Margo Albert, Will Sampson, Beulah Quo, Edward James Olmos and newscasters Beverly White and Belva Davis.

Contacts:
Screen Actors Guild: Pamela Greenwalt, cell (323) 440-2892, pgreenwalt@sag.org

Event Coverage: Cristina Parker, Cristina@noiseny.com,
cell (917) 684.0452, office (818) 836.6030

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