Leo E. Morton will be presented with the 2012 Henry W. Bloch Human Relations Award by the Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee. He will be honored at the JCRB|AJC Human Relations Dinner Nov. 18 at The Westin Crown Center.
This award is named for Henry W. Bloch, whose quiet brand of leadership and compassion has set a benchmark for community activism and an extraordinary civic standard. He is a man devoted to principle, a caring visionary of exemplary character and integrity, a role model in the pursuit of justice and an inspiration to the citizens of our community. The dinner annually honors Bloch, and in 2012, Morton, for a lifetime of justice and selflessness and for making our community a better place in which to live, as exemplified by Henry W. Bloch.
“Over his lifetime, Leo Morton has not only done an excellent job in his career, but he has inspired countless individuals by the life he has lived, and the examples he has set. His approach to management is very engaging, which coupled with his knowledge and outlook for excellent education make him a very skilled leader. I am very honored that he has agreed to accept this year’s Human Relations Award given by the JCRB|AJC,” Bloch commented.
Morton, who is the chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, will be honored for his commitment to justice, his service to the community, his civic leadership and vision, and his devotion to our city.
“Leo Morton’s life story is a wonderful testament to perseverance and determination. He was raised in Birmingham, Alabama, in the early 1960s through the harrowing days of Bull Connor, fire hoses and attack dogs. The fact that Leo was able to survive and thrive is a remarkable feat that he credits to family, community and education. We have much to learn from his life experience,” said Michael J. Abrams, a former president of the JCRB|AJC who serves on the dinner committee.
As the featured speaker as well as the honoree, Morton will share some of his personal civil rights history at the dinner.
For nearly 70 years, the Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee has been an advocate for justice, protecting and preserving equal rights for all members of our greater Kansas City community. The JCRB|AJC continually builds bridges of understanding and nurtures guiding principles that all people of goodwill embrace — working to prevent discrimination, reduce prejudice, strengthen democracy and expand freedom. For more information call 913-327-8126 or email .