The Morehouse School of Medicine and Soledad O’Brien honored Ludacris and The Ludacris Foundation with their Freedoms Voice Award for being a leader in the entertainment industry in giving back to the community.

Atlanta, GA. – On Thursday, October 6, 2011 Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges was honored by The Morehouse School of Medicine and Soledad O’Brien, CNN anchor. President John E. Maupin, Dean Valerie Montgomery-Rice, ChakaZulu, Jeff Dixon, Ramona DeBreaux, Pat Lottier, Walter & Sonjia Young, Scarlett Pressley-Brown along with 400 of Atlanta’s who’s who were all in attendance at the black tie event held at the St. Regis hotel to support  Morehouse’s Community Voices Initiative and the Fourth Annual Freedom’s Voice Award named in honor of Soledad O’Brien.

The Community Voices: Healthcare for the Underserved initiative is managed by the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. The program provides health policy analysis and advocacy that focuses on populations underserved by the health care system and integrates the social determinants of health into solutions that improve individual health and strengthen families and communities.

Ludacris delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech, with an appeal for giving back to the community and helping to empower those that have been denied an opportunity to embrace the American Dream.  “It means so much to me to be here with you today -Thank you, Soledad O’Brien and the Morehouse School of Medicine. Also I’d like to thank those you in the audience for being so supportive of Soledad’s efforts to get the word out regarding those that are disenfranchised and locked out of the American Dream.  America has a great promise but it’s a promise unfulfilled! Not everyone gets an equal chance at it. Some never get a chance at all. Not everyone believes that tomorrow can be better than today. Or that the promise is even meant for them. It’s not right that with all of our resources every citizen is not afforded the opportunity to be the best that they can be – if they want. NOW that is the promise fulfilled!”

If you want to join our effort to repair and revitalize our communities please send contributions to: The Ludacris Foundation PO 768511 Box Roswell, GA 30076 payable to the Ludacris Foundation or via Pay Pal set up on our website http://www.theludacrisfoundation.org. Media can direct questions/inquiries to Barry Florence, BDC World Public Relations at 202-365-5401.