On October 28, Encore.org will honor the achievements and efforts of Dr. Wilhelmina Perry as a 2014 Purpose Prize fellow for her work with the LGBT African-American community.
Dr. Perry, the 71 year old founder of LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent represents an inspiring example of social innovation and proves to have a significant impact on her community. The LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent is an organization formed in 2010 to educate and advocate the rights of Black LGBT people. There are many LGBT organizations in New York City, but according to Dr. Perry little of their work reaches the Black community.
Dr. Perry along with other Purpose Prize fellows address a broad range of issues, including exclusion that LGBT people experience within the Black community, poverty, racism, community health, education, veterans’ issues and the environment. They are addressing the issues directly, and engage in very bold and innovative work. They organize various events, forums and workshops, where attendance as well as visibility continues to grow.
Now in its ninth year, The Purpose Prize is one of the nation’s largest and most popular prize for people over the age of 60 fighting social inequality. The prize challenges the notion that innovation is only driven by young people. Since its inception The Purpose Prize has gathered nearly 8,500 nominations, honored more than 430 winners and fellows, and attracted millions of dollars for winners to expand their projects.