SPONSORS
Platinum
Hon. Keen Berger; Caroline Donahue; Hon. Deborah Glick; Hon. Anthony & Hon. Nadine Hoffmann;
Gil Horowitz, Psy. D.; Irene Kaufman & Daniel Neiden; Hon. Rachel Lavine & Roberta Kaplan, Esq.;
Hon. Jerry Nadler; Alec Pruchnicki, MD; Annelie Roding & Matt McCambridge; Hon. Arthur Schwartz, Esq.
Gold
Erik Bottcher; Ritu Chattree, Esq.; Cristy & Hugo Dwyer; Hon. Jonathan L. Geballe, Esq. & Karin Coonrod;
James Fraser & Katherine Hanson; Hon. Brad Hoylman & David Sigal; Zella Jones – In Memory of Ellen Peterson-Lewis;
Hon. Carolyn Maloney; Hon. Karla Moskowitz and Marvin Moskowitz, Esq – In Memory of Ellen Peterson-Lewis;
Sarah O’Neill; Hon. Lois Rakoff; Hon. James Yates
Silver
Hon. Frieda Bradlow; Hon. Richard Braun; Hon. Gale Brewer; Liz Crotty, Esq.; 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; Nat Johnson & Anne Heaney; Sara D. Kimbell; Hon. Brad Lander; Patricia and Craig Laraie;
Hon. Mark Levine; Hon. Gigi Li; Livvie Mann; Hon. Christopher Marte; Andrea Osnow; Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club;
Hon. Carlina Rivera; Burt Rosenberg; David Siffert, Esq.; Allison Stowell, Esq.; Hon. Scott Stringer;
Kenneth Wind, Grand St. Democrats; Hon. Katherine Wolpe; Hon. Benjamin Yee
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HONORING
Black Lives Matter of Greater New York
Hawk Newsome, Chairperson
Black Lives Matter of Greater New York is guided by three goals: Assist black families, individuals and community leaders in achieving justice; Build a bridge that helps black communities get what they need from existing institutions and teach black communities how to practice empowerment, liberation, and peace to create an uplifting environment for its community members.
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
Editor in Chief & Publisher of The Village Sun
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.
Vocal-NY
Jawanza Williams, Director of Organizing
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. Their model draws inspiration from three traditions: (1) traditional community-based organizing, (2) direct-action AIDS activism, and (3) Black-led social movements for racial justice.
Jawanza James Williams (He, Him) is a Black, radical Queer, Prison Abolitionist, Socialist, Feminist, Christian engaged in social critique, local, and state politics in New York. He is currently the Director of Organizing at VOCAL-NY. Williams is also a member of Democratic Socialists of America and a founding member of its Afrosocialists and Socialists of Color caucus.
Hon. Keen Berger
Former District Leader, 66th AD
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.
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2020 Gala Committee
Co-Chairs
Sara D. Kimbell & Annelie Roding
Committee Members
Lauren Esposito, Esq.; Hon. Anthony Hoffmann; Hon. Nadine Hoffmann; Zella Jones; Hon. Lois Rakoff; David Siffert, Esq.