Rev. Samuel Slie DIV ’52 ’63 was presented with the Gandhi, King, Ikeda Community Builders prize Friday at the Afro-American Cultural Center. Presented by Dean Lawrence Edward Carter Sr. of Morehouse College, the award was given to Slie, associate pastor of the Church of Christ in Yale for 37 years, for his leadership in education and work in the community.

The prize, named after Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Daisaku Ikeda, is meant to “symbolize the tradition these giants of humanity share,” according to the Web site of an exhibit about the men. Previous recipients include Mikhail Gorbachev and Nelson Mandela.

A World War II veteran, Slie, in addition to his work at the church, is a member of the Board of the Central Coast YMCA and the United National Association. He is also a former coordinator of Interfaith Cooperative Ministries, composed of 38 religious congregations throughout the city, and a past president of the National Campus Ministers Association.

The award ceremony accompanied the opening of the exhibit, “Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace” at the cultural center. The exhibit features photographs and information on the three men.

[ydn-legacy-photo-inline id=”16554″ ]