SAN DIEGO – The third and final honoree has been selected to receive an award of distinction from the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation (SDHDF) to be presented at their upcoming Nov. 7 Aston-Brooks Gala. Archbishop Rev. Carl Bean, D.Min. will receive the Sunshine Brooks HIV/AIDS Advocacy Award.
As a young singer, Carl Bean brought churches to their feet and dance floors to their knees. From 1964 to 1972, he was the lead vocalist for the Alex Bradford Singers; his hit Motown single “I Was Born This Way” was the first gay liberation dance club hit. Bean founded the Unity Fellowship Church of Christ in Los Angeles in 1982 for gay, lesbian, and transgendered African Americans. Today, UFC has churches in twelve cities nationwide, including Brooklyn, Atlanta, Baltimore, Detroit, Newark, and Chicago. His is an amazing story of triumph. According to the biography on Amazon for his book “I Was Born This Way: A Gay Preacher’s Journey Through Gospel Music, Disco Stardom, and a Ministry in Christ,” Bean was abused by an uncle from a young age, and he watched his birth mother die from an illegal abortion. But for all the roughness of his childhood, he was blessed in his influences. Reverend Marcus Garvey Wood, the pastor of his church, was a close friend of Martin Luther King. After Bean’s suicide attempt at age 14, he was treated by a psychiatrist who encouraged him to accept his homosexuality. Among his many mentors were Vinnette Justine Carroll of the Urban Arts Corps, Lillie Jackson of the NAACP, and Estelle Brown of the Sweet Inspirations. Bean’s message of unconditional love and tolerance is clear: “If we accept the world’s scorn, we grow weak,” Bean preaches. “If we accept God’s love, we grow strong. My life is testimony to one statement and one statement only God is love, and love is for everybody.”
“Archbishop Bean has taken adversity and created inspiration for the disenfranchised,” said John L. Brown, executive director, SDHDF. “He knows first hand the struggle and heartache people of color who live with HIV/AIDS experience and has created a safe, welcoming religious space so they feel loved and accepted.”
Honored for the memory and life of this generous philanthropist whose multimillion dollar legacy gift has benefitted HIV/AIDS charities in San Diego County for the last decade, Bean will be recognized with the award that honors an individual whose efforts have improved the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS. The Rev. Gerald Green will accept the award on behalf of Archbishop Bean at the Nov. 7 event.
SDHDF has a long standing history of championing and funding HIV/AIDS advocacy and programs in San Diego County. The foundation convenes the HIV Funding Collaborative and financially supports San Diego AIDS Walk to assure their continued success. Since 1996, SDHDF has granted more than $5 million in grants to address the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS. In 2016, a core group of San Diego area AIDS/HIV advocates will attend AIDSWatch in Washington DC. Presented by the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, the conference is the nation’s largest annual constituent-based national HIV/AIDS advocacy event, bringing together hundreds of people living with HIV and their allies to meet with members of Congress and to educate them about the important issues at stake for people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. Their next visit in 2016 is the third visit by the San Diego contingency.
MORE ABOUT THE NOV. 7 GALA
As previously announced last week, SDHDF selects Kurt Cunningham to receive the Richard Geyser Community Leadership Award posthumously at their upcoming Aston-Brooks Gala on Saturday, Nov. 7. This award bears the name of the founding president of the board for San Diego Human Dignity Foundation, who was also a champion for ethics in community service. Actor and activist Wilson Cruz will receive the Lincoln Aston Public Service Award. Named for the San Diego developer and philanthropist whose murder led to the establishment of The San Diego Human Dignity Foundation, the award honors a public figure who uses their celebrity to increase awareness of LGBT issues and encourage equality.
“The individuals we will honor at our upcoming event embody the mission of the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation,” says Brown. “Their work and dedication to equality, tolerance, wellness, well-being and human dignity transcends the LGBTQ communities, striving to bridge understanding throughout San Diego and beyond.”
Each of the awards carries a $5,000 grant from The San Diego Human Dignity Foundation to the LGBT/HIV charity chosen by the award recipient or their designate. The charities selected will be announced at the Aston-Brooks Awards Gala on Nov. 7.
The San Diego Human Dignity Foundation’s second annual fundraiser is a black-tie event where guests will enjoy a hosted cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner, cabaret show, live VIP entertainment featuring Broadway legend Andrea McArdle and the awards ceremony.
Proceeds benefit the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation, one of the nation’s largest LGBT Community Foundations benefiting San Diego’s LGBT community for nearly 20 years. To date in 2015, the foundation has given more than $750,000 to 50 organizations and is embarking on an ambitious fundraising initiative to transforming their newly acquired property at 4545 Park Blvd. into the San Diego LGBT Cultural and Performing Arts Center. The venue, which is home to Diversionary Theatre and San Diego Lambda Archives, will build community by offering a variety of programs delivering quality entertainment, educational opportunities and memorable moments that engage and inspire audiences, honor LGBT culture and history, respect diversity, nurture collaboration and drive economic vitality.
EVENT DETAILS AT A GLANCE:
Aston-Brooks Awards Gala 2015
Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015
6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
6 p.m.: Hosted Premium Cocktail Reception and Silent Auction
7 p.m.: Dinner, Awards, Entertainment
The Hilton San Diego Resort and Spa
1775 E. Mission Bay Drive, San Diego, CA 92109
Early bird pricing: $175; after Monday, Oct. 26: $225
Tickets are now available via http://www.sdhdf.org/news-events/aston-brooks-awards-gala-2015/
