MultiCultural Development Center Celebrates 15th Anniversary 'Sharing Diversity™: A Journey of Cultural Understanding and Inclusiveness'

The MultiCultural Development Center (MCDC), Bloomington, MN, is pleased to announce that it will be celebrating its 15th anniversary with a dinner program and award ceremony on Tuesday, October 24, 2006 from 5:00 pm-9:00 pm at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel, Minneapolis South. Speaking at the event will be B.D. Wong, Tony Award-winning actor from NBC’s Law & Order SVU, HBO’s OZ, and the celebrated Broadway play M. Butterfly.

(PRWEB) September 24, 2006 -- The MultiCultural Development Center (MCDC) is pleased to announce that it will be celebrating its 15th anniversary with a dinner program and award ceremony on Tuesday, October 24, 2006 from 5:00 pm-9:00 pm at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel, Minneapolis South. Speaking at the event will be B.D. Wong, Tony Award-winning actor from NBC’s Law & Order SVU, HBO’s OZ, and the celebrated Broadway play M. Butterfly. Wong will speak about how working in an industry fraught with rejection and racism has forced him not only to empower himself and his own self-esteem, but has caused him to be more facile and articulate about the issues of racial self-image, race-based rejection, Asian-American parental pressure, and the "model minority myth."

The event will also feature a live presentation of “Black Eagle” by Mixed Blood Theatre, and vocal performances by World Voices.

“Black Eagle” is the story of Dr. Ronald McNair, the African American scientist aboard the ill-fated space shuttle Challenger. This dynamic, humor-laced biography recounts his remarkable journey from a small, segregated South Carolina town to the elite ranks of NASA astronaut.

World Voices is a musical ensemble of voices and world instruments from the Twin Cities founded on the premise that music is a universal language, one that draws people together, creating respect and community between diverse populations.

The 2006 Sharing Diversity™ Leadership Award will be presented to Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Carlson Companies, in recognition of her support for MCDC, and for her tireless commitment to promoting diversity at Carlson Companies.

The 2006 Sharing Diversity™ Champion Award will be presented to Medtronic, a company that has supported MCDC since its inception, and is at the forefront of promoting innovative ways to create a better multicultural environment in their organization.

Founded in 1991, MCDC is a private, non-profit national organization based in Bloomington, MN that provides educational programs, products, and services for the workplace, educational institutions, and communities. MCDC’s mission is to promote cultural understanding and inclusiveness to enhance workplace performance and community relationships.

“MCDC has worked to be an important voice for a large facet of the state’s population. I continue to be impressed by, and grateful for, the success stories that it has reaped because of these efforts…There is no doubt that MCDC has contributed at all levels to strengthen our communities, promoting cultural understanding, diversity, and inclusiveness.” James H. McCormick, Chancellor, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

MCDC’s 15th Anniversary Celebration is proudly sponsored by the following organizations: Cub Foods, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A., Northwest Airlines, Sheraton Bloomington Hotel Minneapolis South, China Insight, One Nation News, The HookUp Network, and Events by Jana.

There will be a brief press conference with B.D. Wong, open to the media, at 5:45 pm.

The cost of the event is $95 for MCDC members or $125 for non-members; tables of eight are also available at discounted rates. For more information or to register, contact MCDC at (952) 881-6090 or consult the website at www.mcdc.org.

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