The Daily Voice to honor 12 at Inaugural Event

The Daily Voice Web site will commemorate the Inauguration of President Barack Obama with a special Inaugural event to honor distinguished members of the community.

The event, sponsored by CommonSense Media, will take place Monday, Jan. 19 in Washington and will honor 12 individuals, including the Rev. Joseph Lowery, who will deliver the benediction at President Barack Obama's Inauguration the following day, and Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, who will perform at the Inauguration as well.

The 12 honorees, who were chosen by The Daily Voice for their inspirational public presence in 2008, also include Newark Mayor Cory Booker, actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, the founder of The Diva Foundation; actor Isaiah Washington, the founder of The Gondobay Manga Foundation; CNN anchor Don Lemon; best-selling author E.Lynn Harris, best-selling author and filmmaker Crystal McCrary Anthony; actors Lance Gross and Eva Marcille; George Washington University Law School Associate Dean Alfreda Robinson; and Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree.

"We're very pleased to be able to celebrate history with 12 people who have inspired us over the past year," said Daily Voice editor Keith Boykin. He said the honorees represent a diverse collection of outstanding individuals. 

"Like President-elect Obama, their contributions in the areas of politics, education, charity, government, the arts and entertainment have enriched our culture, our society and our lives," added Daily Voice Arts & Entertainment editor Nathan Hale Williams.

The event will also mark the 1 year anniversary of The Daily Voice Web site, which launched a BETA version on Feb. 4, 2008 during the presidential primary contest. "The inaugural week marks a perfect opportunity for us to celebrate our first year in business," said Daily Voice publisher Malcolm Harris. "And we're especially pleased to have CommonSense Media as a sponsor," he said.