Richard Gere, who
has donated time and money to the causes for Tibetan
independence and HIV/AIDS care, on Monday accepted a
prestigious humanitarian award given by the city of
Philadelphia.
Richard Gere, who
has donated time and money to the causes for Tibetan
independence and HIV/AIDS care, on Monday accepted a
prestigious humanitarian award given by the city of
Philadelphia.
The actor was
given the Marian Anderson Award, named after the black
American contralto who had achieved international musical
acclaim by the mid 1930s but faced racial segregation
at home.
Gere, 58,
accepted the honor and its $100,000 honorarium at a gala at
the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
''I'm not worthy
of this award in any way whatsoever,'' Gere said. ''I
can't tell you how this makes me feel. My heart is so wide
open.''
Gere was lauded
for taking on the dual role of artist and activist before
it became fashionable, lending his fame and finances to
global issues.
Gere, a Buddhist,
has advocated Tibetan independence from Chinese rule
since 1978. He cofounded the Tibet House and is board
chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet.
He also
established Healing the Divide, a public charity for
improving care for HIV/AIDS patients, and a
philanthropic foundation bearing his name helps
humanitarian organizations.
His three-decade
film career includes An Officer and A
Gentleman, Pretty Woman, and Chicago,
which won him a Golden Globe.
Anderson became
the first black person to perform at the White House in
1939 and the first black singer at the Metropolitan
Opera in New York in 1955. She received the Medal of
Freedom in 1963 and died in 1993 at age 96. (AP)
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