The YWCA of Greater Mobile will present its 2007 Racial Justice Award to Ravi Howard, author of Like Trees, Walking, a true story about the 1981 lynching of Michael Donald of Mobile. The award will be presented during the YWCA’s Annual Meeting: An Evening of Gratitude, Reflection and Celebration to be held at 6 p.m. Monday, at the West Regional Mobile Public Library at 5555 Grelot Road.

This event, free and open to the public, is sponsored by the YWCA board of directors, and staff. The program is designed to celebrate a successful year, welcome new board members and honor area citizens for racial justice efforts.

A book-signing will be held at the event.

“The YWCA Racial Justice Award is designed to recognize individuals, organizations and/or corporations for their commitment to racial justice,” said YWCA Board President Amanda Outlaw. “We are pleased to honor Ravi Howard with this special award.”

Howard, born in Montgomery, earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Howard University. He also received his master’s degree in creative writing/fiction from the University of Virginia.

He received the 2001 Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Award for College Writers for his short story “Like Trees, Walking.” His writing has appeared in “Callaloo,” an African-American literary journal and the Massachusetts Review.

Howard has also recorded commentary for NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Howard is a former television producer for NFL Films, where in 2005 he won an Emmy for his work on HBO’s “Inside the NFL,” a weekly football magazine.

The former Gulf Coast Newspapers writer currently lives in Mobile with his wife, Laura Howard M.D.

For more information, contact the YWCA of Greater Mobile at (251) 476-7733.