Congratulations to everyone who has been honored with an Activist Award in the past. It’s an amazing list of powerful local activists – thanks to everyone for all your hard work!
2016 Awards:
The Power to the People Award — Jenny Tang and Vera Watson, Museum Square Tenants Association, for their organizing to preserve affordable housing at the Museum Square building in Chinatown
The Speak Truth To Power Award – Dr. Maha Hilal, National Coalition To Protect Civil Freedoms (NCPCF), for her work to end torture, center Muslim families and prisoners impacted by the War on Terror, and organize against Islamophobia.
The No Justice No Peace Award – Marion Hopkins, Coalition of Concerned Mothers, for co-founding the People’s Coalition for Police Accountability after losing her son Gary to police terrorism in 1999, and becoming a leading voice for police accountability nationally.
The Be The Change Award – People for Fairness Coalition for their consistent work on organizing against homelessness in the District and their annual vigil that pays respect to the homeless lives lost in the District.
The Another World Is Possible Award – The DC Movement for Black Lives for their organizing against racism, state violence and police brutality, and centering Black lives in DC.
The People Over Profit Award – Shilpa Joshi, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, for her powerful work for environmental justice that led to anti-fracking legislation wins in Maryland.
The Empowering The Future Youth Award: Rodrigo Velasquez, Mason DREAMERS, for building a more supportive environment for undocumented students on George Mason’s campus through the ACCESS Mason Program.
Helga Herz Lifetime Achievement Award: Sister Megan Rice, Transform Now Ploughshares, for her tireless activism for the abolition of nuclear weapons and serving jail time for breaking into a nuclear plant.
Click here to see their full bios.
2014 Awards:
Aja Taylor, Bread for the City and the DC Ban the Box Coalition
Bruno Avila, Employment Justice Center and Latino Economic Development Center
Calvert Citizens for a Healthy Community
Noura Erakat, Jadaliyya and the DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival
Salim Adofo, National Black United Front
Salvador Sarmiento, National Day Laborers Organizer Network and Cosita Seria
Youth Award: Lydia Brown, Washington Metro Disabled Students Collective and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Lifetime Achievement Award: Shujaa Graham, Witness to Innocence
Click here to see their full bios.
2013 Awards:
Andy Bowen, DC Trans Coalition
Eddie Weingart, Project End Gun Violence
Liane Scott, Grassroots DC
Respect DC
Seema Sadanandan, ACLU-NCA
Stuart Anderson, Friends and Family of Incarcerated People
Voices of the 99%
Youth awardee: Brenda Perez Amador, SMART, Many Languages One Voice
Lifetime achievement: Bill Galvin, Center on Conscience and War
2012 Awards:
Beet Street Gardens
Brian Best and St Stephen’s Church
Chai Shenoy, Collective Action for Safe Spaces
Dave Richardson, AFGE 12 and DC Jobs with Justice
Housing for All Campaign
Immigrant Rights Coalition
Ivy City Civic Association Youth Committee, Empower DC
Jeffrey Light, National Lawyers Guild and Occupy DC
Judith Hawkins, Bread for the City and It Is What It Is Mobile Talk Show
Click here for their full bios.
2011 Awards:
Earline Budd, Transgender Health Empowerment
Demissie Abebe, Director of Torture Abolition and Survivor Support Coalition
Jon Liss, Director of VA New Majority, former Director of Tenants and Workers United
Kristen Kane-Osorto, Luther Place, Steinbruck Center for Urban Studies
Leslie Salgado, Howard County Friends of Latin America
Netfa Freeman, IPS, SALSA, WPFW, Empower DC
Sylvia Robinson, Emergence Community Arts Collective, Georgia Ave Task Force, Diverse City Fund
Vasudha Desikan, former Left Turn and NCOR, active in INCITE and at Occupy DC
Michael Kemp, Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, the school to prison pipeline.
The Walter Reed Vigil
2010 Awards:
The Planting Seeds of Peace Award to Ayize Sabater, MOMIES, TLC
The Be the Change Award to Mike Marceau, Veterans for Peace and Montgomery Peace Action
The People United Award to April Goggans, Marbury Plaza Tenants Association
The Another World is Possible Award to Walda Katz-Fishman, DC Metro Social Forum and Howard University
The Peace Drum Award to Ayo Handy-Kendi, African American Holiday Association
The No Justice No Peace Award to Johnny Barnes, ACLU of the National Capitol Region
The Power to the People Award to Rosa Lozano, CASA de Maryland
The We Shall Overcome Award to Cheryl Barnes, National Coalition for the Homeless
The Empowering the Future Award to Isaiah Toney, DC Jobs with Justice and GW student
The Speak Truth to Power award to Marcus Raskin, Institute for Policy Studies
2009 Awards
The Another World is Possible Award
Rita D’Escoto Clark
Nicaragua-US Friendship Office
The Be the Change Award
Alexis Browne and Cortez Riley
SMYAL
The Planting Seeds of Peace Award
MJ + Jerry Park
Little Friends for Peace
The Port in the Storm Award
Sharmus Outlaw
HIPS
The Peace Drum Award
Ellen Thomas
Proposition 1
The Social Justice Award
Kevietta McCants, Kiara Ramirez-Giron and Lamar Ramos-Peterson
TimeBank Youth Court
The Empowering the Future Award
Michele Baskin and Ikechukwu Umez-Eronini
DC Student/Teacher Alliance
The People United Award
Franklin Brooks
ONE DC organizer, housing justice
The Power to the People Award
Mackenzie Baris
DC Jobs for Justice
2008 Awards
The Sowing the Seeds of Resistance award to the National Conference on Organized Resistance (NCOR)
The People United award to the Franklin Shelter campaign
The Empowering the Future award to Robby Diesu, Our Spring Break
The Sisterhood is Powerful award to Girls Rock! DC
The Power to the People award to Sonia Umanzor, FMLN
The Another World is Possible to Chioma Oruh, Resist AFRICOM Working Group.
The Port in the Storm award to Andy Shallal, Busboys and Poets.
The Be the Change You Wish to See in the World award to Ruth Castel-Branco, Jobs with Justice DC
The We Shall Overcome award to Union de Trabajadores de Washington DC.
Lifetime Acheivement: The Prophetic Voice for Peace and Justice award to Rev. Graylan Haglar.
2007 Awards
Peaceful Warriors – IVAW
(Geoff Millard, Evan Knappenberger, Adam Kokesh)
Grassroots Guerilla
Tina Richards
Media Heroes-
WHYNot News – (Kathleen Gabel, Tyler Westbrook, Kevin, et al.)
Starving for Wisdom/Hungry for Humanity
Start Loving
Starving for Peace, Justice & Climate Sanity
Ted Glick
Community Mobilization/Most Dynamic Local Organizers –
EMPOWER DC – Linda Leeks/Parisa Norouzi
Housing Justice
Jim McGrath – TENAC
Housing Justice/Human Rights/Community Organizing
Eleanor Johnson – Former ANC Commissioner
Justice For All
Mexicanos Sin Fronteras – John Steinbach (or other)
Unsung Heroine
Rossana Batista – Everywhere Support
Unsung Hero
Jim Preston – Code Pink Gentlemen’s Auxilliary, WPC backbone, etc.
Henry Moses Tribute
Lifetime Achievement I
Colman McCarthy -Teach Peace and Pursue It
Lifetime Achievement II
Nadine Bloch – Peaceful Environmental Warrior – No War! No Warming!
Street-wise Leadership/Taking One For the Team
Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr.
Legal Mongoose-
Jack Barringer – Activist Attorney
Legal Dove-
Ann Wilcox – Independent Attorney, DCSGP/GPAX
Counter-Recruitment – Showing the Peaceful Way/Eye For the Future
Peace Action Montgomery County – CR Working Group
Pat Elder et al
Creative Escalation (& Permit Pooh-bah) –
Jose Rodriguez (VIDEO)
Ultra Intern
Chris Lotz – Created our new website.
(Recognize all interns: Haynes Bunn, Matt Theologus, Ned Goodwin, Yong Kwan, James Springer, Johanna Pizer, Hallie Goertner, Amanda Lazorchack, Glenn Waltersdorf, Andy Kennedy, Suv)
Courage of Her Convictions
Eve Tetaz
Hub of the Resistance Residence
Code Pink House (Group)
Joan Stallard – Vision to Reality/Movement Expansion (CODEPINK house)
Liz Hourrican – Activist Enabler (Super Support Sister) –
Desiree Fairooz – Activist Enabler (Truth to the Face of Power)
Midge Potts – Peace Through Art/Free to Be All You Can Be
Lori Purdue – Banned from the District!
Col. (Ret.) Ann Wright– You Oughta Be President
2006 Awards
Elizabeth McAlister
Jonah House
Ambrose I. Lane Sr.
Gael Murphy
Perry King
Malachy Kilbride
Donte Smith
Marian Franz
Anais Sensiba
John Judge
Ellen Barfield
Dr. Arnold Peterson
Garrett Repenhagen
Tim D’Emilio
Zainabu Danze
Michael Boyd
The Washington Spark
Kevin McCarron
Jonathon Hutto
CASA de Maryland
Joe Reiner
Mark Croatti
Michele and Rick Tingling-Clemmons
Sr. Dianna Ortiz
Mkawasi Mcharo
Dick Gregory
Art Laffin
Robert Vandivier
2005 Awards
Featuring Amy Goodman and Damu Smith
1. Alem, Mo – Best Crunch Time Supporter
2. Anders, Brian – WPC Staff Service Award
3. Andersen, Mark – WPC Board Service Award
4. Barrows David – Courage Award
5. Blair, Laurelle – Artivist Activist
6. Bloch, Nadine – Direct Action Organizer
7. Cesar Chavez High School – Most Supportive Faculty
8. Civela, Concei and Café Mawonaj – Humanitarian Award
9. Clark, Gordon – Gandhian Activism
10. Cleghorn Steve – Gandhian Activist
11. Cohen, Joshua – Student Activist – Goucher College
12. Colman McCarthy – Universal Peace Educator
13. Cunneen, Seton – Teacher Activist – Gonzaga H.S.
14. Davis, Rebecca – Teacher Activist, Good Counsel H.S.
15. DC Action Medical Network – Street Medic Activism
16. DC Guerilla Poetry Insurgency – Creativity in Action Award
17. Deane, Gita – Queer Activist
18. Egan, Karen – Teacher Activist, Good Counsel
19. Eidinger, Adam – Cultural Event of the Year – Operation Ceasefire
20. Elder, Pat – Counterrecruiter of 2005
21. Faith & Jude – DC Statehood Activists
22. Furmansky, Dan/Equality Maryland – Queer Activism Award
23. Goldstone, Mark – Activist Legal Support
24. Goodman, Amy – Courage in Broadcasting
25. Gosney, Christine – Student Activist, Good Counsel H.S.
26. Grollman, Eric – UMBC student activist
27. Hagler, Rev. Graylan – Unity Award
28. Hamilton, Riley – WPC Tech Activist
29. Harbury, Jennifer – for Fighting Torture
30. Heetderks, Kathryn – Teacher Activist, Good Counsel H.S.
31. Hilliard, Gwendolyn – Student Activist, Carroll H.S.
32. Hunt, Michael – UMBC Student Activist
33. Infoshop – Activist Bookstore
34. Jane Henderson – For fighting the death penalty
35. Katherine, Murphy – Teacher Activist – Carroll H.S.
36. Katkhouda, Ryme/Voices With Vision – Local Radio Activist
37. Kemp, Sister Carroll Ann – Teacher Activist, Gonzaga H.S.
38. Law, Paris – Student Activist, Goucher College
39. Leaks, Linda – Social Justice Organizer
40. Lewis, Michael – Effective Regional Support/Most free spirited peace worker
41. McKenna, Georgia – WPC Librarian
42. Murphy, Luci – Peace and Justice Community Organizer
43. Nelson, Harold – Fighting Torture
44. Nelson, Katie – Gandhian Activism
45. Newell, Roger – for WPC board service
46. Nickens, Mark – Musician Peace Activist
47. Pallechia, Victor – teacher activist, Carroll H.S.
48. Penna, Christopher – Teacher Activist, Good Counsel H.S.
49. Perry, Pete – Most Passionate Activist for Peace
50. Petropoulos, Pete – Unsung Hero Award
51. Piccioto, Concepcion – Longest Peace Vigil
52. Positive Force – Community Service Award
53. Reinhard, Rick – Peace Photographer Activist
54. Schiller, Nikolas – The Everywhere Man Award
55. Shallal, Andy – Ambassador Award
56. Singh, Basav – Global Justice Organizer
57. Smith, Damu – Lifetime Commitment to Peace
58. Smith, Harriet – Student Activist, UMBC
59. St. Stephens and the Incarnation – Peace Activist Church
60. Steinbach, John – Indigenous Survival Award
61. Stepanek, Matthew – Child Peacemaker Poet
62. Talero, Catalina – Teacher of Nonviolence
63. Thomas, William– Longest Vigil of DC
64. Wilkinson, Arlene. – best 2005 WPC intern
65. WPFW – radio station promoting peace