Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award

2025 Recipient: Beverly Calender-Anderson

While serving as the Safe and Civil City Director, and most recently as the Director of Community and Family Resources for the City of Bloomington before her retirement, Beverly Calender-Anderson demonstrated a profound commitment to advancing race relations, justice, and human rights. She worked collaboratively with a diverse array of organizations, individuals, and institutions to champion equity and inclusivity. Beverly fostered meaningful partnerships and led impactful initiatives with Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana University, United Way, and numerous not-for-profits. Her efforts consistently created tangible, visible, and lasting change within the community, embodying her unwavering dedication to justice and human rights. Beverly’s legacy of promoting unity and understanding continues to inspire and uplift others.

Beverly is one of the founding organizational members of Bloomington United, formed in response to the distribution of hate literature promoting white supremacy in the community. Bloomington United launched an educational campaign to counteract racist activities and foster inclusivity in Bloomington. As a follow-up to Bloomington United, she introduced Study Circles to the community, creating spaces where individuals from diverse cultural, racial, and social backgrounds could engage in dialogue about improving civility within neighborhoods and the broader community. Beverly also spearheaded the Building Bridges Project within the religious community, fostering collaboration across faiths, including Muslims, Bahá'í, Buddhists, Christians, and Jews. The initiative emphasized shared values over differences, promoting unity and mutual understanding. She has led several multicultural initiatives to celebrate diversity and strengthen community ties, including the Multi-Cultural Festival, Asian Fest, Fiesta Del Otoño, and Black History Month events. Since retiring, Beverly has remained deeply engaged in the community, serving on the board of New Hope for Families, an organization that provides temporary shelter and support for homeless families. 

Beverly’s work within the Bloomington community exemplifies the teachings of Dr. King. To her, her work has always been a labor of love, reflecting her deep commitment to diversity, civility, and empowering others to recognize their inherent value and worth. Hearing Beverly speak about her work is truly inspiring. She has shared her expertise and passion for diversity as a presenter at the Martinsville PRIDE annual meeting, a guest speaker for the Commission on 2 the Status of Women’s Emerging Leaders Award, Indiana University’s Women of Color Conference, the South Indiana Conference of United Methodist Churches, and other local organizations. Through her role with the City of Bloomington and her personal outreach efforts, Beverly has consistently made a meaningful and positive impact on individuals and the community at large. Her dedication to fostering equity and inclusion is unparalleled. She often describes her work as the “best job in Bloomington, maybe the whole world,” a sentiment that underscores her passion and unwavering commitment to making a difference. Beverly’s contributions resonate deeply within the community, leaving a lasting legacy of hope, unity, and progress.

See all past award recipients.

Criteria

1. The nominee has been personally or corporately involved in making tangible, visible, and meaningful contributions to the advancement of race relations, justice, and/or human rights causes.
2. The nominee must have been a Monroe County resident, business, or advocacy group for at least one year.
    

Nomination Process

1. Anyone can make a nomination.
2. The deadline for submitting nominations is TBD.
3. Nominations may be made online only and will be opening by Oct. 1st 2024. (check back soon for the nomination link)
    

Selection Process

1. The Award Committee reviews all nominations and recommends finalists for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission to consider. The Commission makes the final selection. Any member of either the Award Committee or Commission who is nominated for the award must excuse themselves from discussions and voting during the selection process. Likewise, any immediate family members must also excuse themselves from the decision-making process.
2. The Award Committee shall notify the winner in January and invite the winner to attend the Birthday Celebration.
3. The Mayor of the City of Bloomington or the Chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission will present the award at the Birthday Celebration.