LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 5, 2013 -- Isaias Gamboa, founder and of the "WE SHALL OVERCOME FOUNDATION, a non-profit organization, which produced the CIncinnati, Ohio tribute and awards gala, "WE SHALL OVERCOME ~ AN EVENING OF HOPE: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF LOUISE SHROPSHIRE, commented today on the award bestowed upon Oscar nominated movie director, Lee Daniels on September 27, 2013. 

This was the first annual WE SHALL OVERCOME FOUNDATION'S "EVENING OF HOPE", which among other things, was a tribute to Cincinnati's own, Louise Shropshire; the newly discovered author of the iconic freedom song, We Shall Overcome. The event also presented awards to Civil Rights icons, Rev. Otis Moss Jr., Rev. Dr. Damon Lynch Jr., four-time gold medal Olympian, Harrison Dillard and Simone Sheffield;  co-producer of "Lee Daniels The Butler. 

The historic gala featured a 15-church mass choir and 35-piece SCPA Youth Symphony and was co-emceed by Dr. P. Eric Abercrumbie, director of Minority Student Affairs at the University of Cincinnati along with Dr. Tonya Matthews, President and CEO of the Michigan Science Center and former VP of the Cincinnati Museum Center. The very successful event was held at the Inspirational Baptist Church in Forest Park, Ohio - a suburb of Cincinnati, and well-attended by a 'who's who' of Cincinnati's prominent educators, religious leaders, public servants and business professionals.

ABOUT LEE DANIELS

Lee Daniels is perhaps best known for his Academy Award winning film PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE. The film was adapted from the New York Times- bestselling novel Push by Sapphire (a.k.a. Ramona Lofton). PRECIOUS was nominated for six Academy Awards, including nominations for Daniels in the category of "Achievement in Directing" and "Best Motion Picture of the Year, and wins in the categories of "Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role" and "Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay."

Daniels was the first African American to be nominated for a Director's Guild of America Award for "Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film" on behalf of PRECIOUS. The film won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, only the third film in Festival history to do so. It was also nominated for three Golden Globe awards including "Best Picture Drama," and was nominated for eight NAACP Image Awards, six of which it won, in categories including "Outstanding Motion Picture" and "Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture, Theatrical or Television." The film also garnered a total of five 2010 Independent Spirit Awards, including "Best Feature" and "Best Director."

Daniels' production company, Lee Daniels Entertainment, made its feature film debut with MONSTER'S BALL, making Daniels the sole African-American producer of an Oscar®- winning and Oscar®-nominated film. Daniels also produced THE WOODSMAN which was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards. The film received the CICAE Arthouse Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, the Jury Prize at the Deauville International Film Festival, and Special Mention for Excellence in Filmmaking from the National Board of Review.

ABOUT the WE SHALL OVERCOME FOUNDATION

The We Shall Overcome Foundation, established by Isaias Gamboa in 2004, is a faith based non-profit organization, which is dedicated to the spiritual, educational, social and economic survival and well-being of humankind irrespective to nationality, race or gender.