Tamika Catchings Receives Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award Given By The Indiana Civil Rights Fee

The Indiana Civil Rights Commission awarded former WNBA player and current GM Tamika Catchings the 2021 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Indiana Holiday Commission Freedom Award presented!

The award is given to four Hoosiers in Indiana who have worked diligently to improve their communities in ways that complement Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. exemplifies what an amazing honor is.

Catchings said of her award: “There is no overnight cure for what we are dealing with, but TOGETHER we can all work to be the change for our future!”

Thank you @INCivilRights for welcoming me as the winner of the Freedom Award from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Indiana Holiday Commission! 🙌🏽🙏🏽

There is no overnight cure for what we are dealing with, but TOGETHER we can all work to be the change for our future! #Blessed pic.twitter.com/tSyMgLv5Vb

– Tamika Catchings (@ Catchin24) January 8, 2021

Catchings had a 15-year WNBA career with the Indiana Fever and is currently vice president of basketball operations and general manager of the team. She is the best player in Fever history and has been working to improve the Indianapolis community for nearly 20 years.

After Catchings was drafted into the WNBA in 2001, he started a five-day basketball camp to teach kids life skills, positivity, goal setting and teamwork (as well as basketball). She continued the camp in 2002 while also starting the Catch on to Fitness Clinic, where children learned the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle and collected donations for a food bank.

In the spring of 2004, Catchings founded the Catch the Stars Foundation to help disadvantaged young people make their dreams come true. The foundation promotes the fitness, literacy and development of young people. In February 2011, the foundation announced a partnership with the University of Tennessee’s School of Education, Health, and Human Services to support high-risk students in Knoxville.

Catchings has continued their clinics to this day, as they are now in or near twenty years. During this time, her foundation has helped over 15,000 young people through basketball camps, fitness clinics, school celebrations, mentoring programs, reading corners, and scholarship programs. In 2019 alone, 1,200 backpacks filled with school supplies were donated to students in need, and grants of US $ 104,000 went to Indiana athletes.

The work of Catchings does not stop with its creation. During the 2020 election, Catchings signed up to be an election worker in Indiana. She told the fever in October:

“We talk a lot about effects. I think that’s been my word for the past five years since I retired. I think if I work on the Poles, I have the opportunity to make a difference. “

Catches continued:

“For me personally, it’s almost like a responsibility. An individual responsibility to be in a room and to make it as easy as possible for people to choose. “

All in all, the current GM of Indiana Fever and basketball legend Tamika Catchings has demonstrated her commitment to improving the Indiana community and earned her recognition from the Indiana Civil Rights Commission. Catchings is a role model and role model not only for athletes, but for members of the community everywhere.

They just know that the job of 10x WNBA All-Star, 7x All-WNBA First Team, 5x All-WNBA Second Team, 5x Defensive Player of the Year, 2011 MVP, and 2012 WNBA Champion is not done – it will keep trying and improving the Indianapolis community for all.

Tamika Catchings will present their award along with the other recipients online via Zoom during the 30th annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Indiana on Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 12:00 PM EST.

Click here to donate to your Catch the Stars Foundation.

The Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) enforces the civil rights laws of the state of Indiana. They investigate complaints of discrimination in employment, housing, public housing, credit and education. They educate organizations, corporations, landlords, associations, and individuals about their rights and obligations under the Indiana Civil Rights Laws and the Mission to Eliminate Discrimination.

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AP Photo / Michael Conroy