Throughout his life Hawk has engaged in protests and activities to combat injustice. Over the past few years, he has worked tirelessly leading protests and seeking justice for the families of those slain by overzealous police officers.
Hawk is a founding member of BLMgreaterNY. The organization is one of the most disruptive groups in the country which is continuously fighting against anti-blackness. Not only has he helped victims of police brutality, he works with members of LGBT community, victims of human trafficking, the mental health community. He founded the Black Lives Caucus.
Lincoln Anderson is the editor in chief and publisher of The Village Sun, a new Downtown Manhattan online community newspaper that launched last November. He was previously the editor in chief of The Villager newspaper for 20 years. Under his editorship, The Villager was named three times as New York State’s best weekly paper in by New York Press Association (2001, 2004 and 2005); and twice named first place Writer of the Year. Lincoln was also first place from the National Newspaper Association for Best Breaking News Story (Non-Daily Division) for his coverage of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.
Lincoln is a community journalist believing that even New York City’s roots are in the community. Former city councilmember and V.I.D.’er Miriam Friedlander told him, “You never left the community.” At first he didn’t exactly understand what she meant, but now he does.
Voices Of Community Activists & Leaders (VOCAL-NY) is a statewide grassroots membership organization that builds power among low-income people affected by HIV/AIDS, the drug war, mass incarceration, and homelessness in order to create healthy and just communities. We accomplish this through community organizing, leadership development, advocacy, direct services, participatory research and direct action. They have active chapters in New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, and Westchester County.
They approach this work with a firm belief in reducing harm and ending stigma, and the knowledge that the issues impacting our communities are driven by institutional oppression, not personal failings. Their model of movement building draws inspiration from three traditions: (1) traditional community-based organizing, (2) direct-action AIDS activism, and (3) Black-led social movements for racial justice.
Kathleen Stassen Berger (Keen) is a lifelong teacher, author, and activist. She is a professor at Bronx Community College (48 years!), and author of the leading college textbooks in developmental psychology (11th edition), and she was VID’s District Leader for 14 years. As she taught college and nutured her children, she also chaired Community School Board in District Two. She is still writing, teaching and politicking.
Keen is always trying to raise appreciation for the humanity of the diverse people of our world, and to protect everyone’s health and well-being. She cares deeply about families, who need to help the children and adults they love. Keen has made it her mission that government should enable that.
Hon. Keen Berger
Caroline Donahue
Hon. Deborah Glick
Hon. Anthony & Hon. Nadine Hoffmann
Hon. Rachel Lavine & Roberta Kaplan, Esq.
Hon. Jerry Nadler
Alec Pruchnicki, MD
Annelie Roding & Matt McCambridge
Erik Bottcher
Hon. Jonathan L. Geballe, Esq. & Karin Coonrod
Hon. Brad Hoylman & David Sigal
Zella Jones – In Memory of Ellen Peterson-Lewis
Irene Kaufman & Daniel Neiden
Hon. Carolyn Maloney
Hon. Karla Moskowitz and Marvin Moskowitz, Esq
Hon. Lois Rakoff
Hon. James Yates
Hon. Frieda Bradlow
Hon. Richard Braun
Hon. Thomas DiNapoli
Hon. Harvey Epstein
Lauren Esposito, Esq
Hal Friedman
Susan Gottesman, MD
Hon. Richard Gottfried
Alison Greenberg, Esq.
Hon. Jennifer Hoppe
Hon. Robert Jackson
Linda E. Jacobson, D.V.M.
Hon Corey Johnson
Sara D. Kimbell
Hon. Brad Lander
Hon. Gigi Li
Kate Linker & Bernard Tschumi
Livvie Mann
Hon. Christopher Marte
Andrea Osnow
Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club
Hon. Carlina Rivera
Burt Rosenberg
David Siffert, Esq
Allison Stowell, Esq.
Kenneth Wind, Grand St. Democrats
Hon. Katherine Wolpe
Hon. Benjamin Yee
2020 Gala Committee
Co-Chairs
Annelie Roding & Sara D. Kimbell
Committee Members
Lauren Esposito, Esq.; Hon. Anthony Hoffmann; Hon. Nadine Hoffmann;
Zella Jones; Hon. Lois Rakoff; David Siffert, Esq.
