Michael McCray, Esq., co-chair of the International Association of Whistleblowers (IAW), is being awarded today the Arkansas Peace & Justice Award. Mike, a native of Arkansas, has never forgotten his roots, and has tirelessly campaigned for  strong civil rights, civil liberties, and human rights' enforcements both at the national as well as global level. He has remained active in Arkansas.

Marcel Reid, President of Washington DC ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), nominated Mr. McCray for the award stating: "A champion for grassroots and community advocacy, Attorney McCray believes in the philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the struggle for social and economic justice as essential human rights concerns.

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Michael's  community advocacy is broadly categorized in the following areas: social justice for federal workers; whistleblower rights; social justice in the area of judicial accountability and reform; economic policies that stop Mortgage Fraud and Predatory Lending; encouraging community empowerment and reinvestment activism."

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ACORN members add: "As a civil rights lawyer and federal whistleblower, Michael McCray became known as the "$40,000,000 Whistleblower" when he reported over $40 million in government waste, fraud and abuse at the United States Department of Agriculture. Michael added to his advocacy the title of "judicial reform activist" when he reported significant judicial misconduct against Microsoft Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson and the Ashcroft Justice Department in "U.S. v.  Jackson". Michael's judicial complaint contributed to Judge Jackson's early retirement.

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Zena Crenshaw, Treasurer of IAW and Mr. McCray's close associate on many of these issues has called McCray "A 'fearless' whistleblower and judicial reform advocate. Mike is a member of the No FEAR Coalition, which is responsible for passing the Notification of Federal Employee Anti-discrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002."

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Betsy Combier, Secretary of the IAW, says "Mike showed great skill at the IAW this year when he debated the issue of judicial accountability, and I think the award is well-deserved."

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Notably, McCray also fights for full implementation of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" which was first adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.

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Dr. James Murtagh, co-chair of the IAW, states "Mike McCray is a tenacious advocate and champion for the underdog, and for the watchdogs. Our nation is stronger because of Mike McCray's dogged advocacy."

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The Arkansas Peace and Justice Awards will be made today, June 14, 2008 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church 224 N East Ave. Fayetteville AR.  For more information, see: