Humanitarian Awards:
“An Anniversary Celebration”

The Reverend Al Sharpton is an internationally renowned civil rights leader, founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), which has more than 100 chapters across the country. Hailed by former President Barack Obama as a “champion for the downtrodden,” Reverend Sharpton is the host of “Politics Nation” on MSNBC; a nationally syndicated daily radio show “Keepin’ It Real”;and a nationally broadcast radio show on Sunday titled, “The Hour of Power.”

A disciple of the teachings of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Reverend Sharpton has been at the forefront of the modern civil rights movement for nearly a half of a century.He has championed police reform and accountability, calling for the elimination of unjust policies like “Stop-and-Frisk.” He has fought for voting rights, equity in education and healthcare and LGBTQ rights. Across the years, Reverend Sharpton has advocated for those who have been victimized including Yusef Hawkins, Michael Stewart, Amadou Diallo, Abner Louima, Sean Bell, the Jena Six, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner and others.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Reverend Sharpton preached his first sermon at the age of 4at the historic Washington Temple Church of God in Christ. He was ordained at the age of 10 and by 13, he had been appointed Youth Director of New York’s Operation Breadbasket—the economic arm toDr. King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

Under the tutelage of his mentors—the ReverendsJesse L. Jackson, Sr., and William Augustus Jones, Jr—Reverend Sharpton honed his organizing and protest skills around economic and political boycotts and quickly emerged as a national figure. By the time he turned 16, Reverend Sharpton had founded the National Youth Movement, Inc, which organized young people around the country to push for increased voter registration, cultural awareness and job training programs.

A fierce believer in the philosophy of nonviolent, direct-action protest, Reverend Sharpton founded National Action Network in 1991 and headquartered the organization in Harlem, all the while serving from 1993 to 1998 as director of the Minister’s Division for Reverend Jackson’sRainbow Push Coalition.

An astute political strategist, Reverend Sharpton’s analysis and his endorsement is frequently sought by political candidates seeking public office. Reverend Sharpton’s foray into electoral politics resulted in historic and groundbreaking runs for the U.S. Senate in 1992 and 1994, and he nearly forced a runoff in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City in 1997. His noteworthy presidential run in 2004 brought thousands of new voters into the electoral process and repositioned himself as a trusted progressive who centered critical issues like a living wage, gun reform and voting rights as a cornerstone of his campaign. In July 2004, at the request of the Democratic nominee, John F. Kerry, Reverend Sharpton delivered a rousing primetime speech at the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

The author of three books, Reverend Sharpton is a frequent lecturer on civil rights and political issues and has lent his expertise to several corporate diversity councils at Pepsi, Walmart and Charter Communications. He has received numerous awards, including the Harold Washington Award from the Congressional Black Caucus.He was also honored with the“Mandela Legacy Hope, Success & Empowerment Award” in recognition of his long history of achievements in advancing civil rights causes around the world. In 2017, he received the prestigious James Joyce award from the Literary and Historical Society of the University College in Dublin, Ireland.

Educated in the New York City public schools, Reverend Sharpton attended Brooklyn College. He has received honorary doctorate degrees from Medgar Evers College, Fisk University, Tennessee State University, Bethune-Cookman University, Virginia Union University and Voorhees College.

Reverend Sharpton is the proud father of two daughters: Dominique and Ashley, and the grandfather of Marcus Al Sharpton Bright.

Cynthia Bissett Germanotta is president and co-founder of Born This Way Foundation, which she launched with her daughter Lady Gaga in 2012. Born This Way Foundation supports the mental health of young people and works with them to build a kinder, braver world. Under Cynthia’s leadership, Born This Way Foundation has reached tens of thousands of young people across the country and around the world, launched innovative youth-focused programming such as teen Mental Health First Aid, and conducted cutting-edge research to improve the understanding of mental wellness and the impact of kindness.

Cynthia and Born This Way Foundation have been the recipient of numerous honors, including the 2019 Behavior Research Foundation’s Honorary Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health for their advocacy work surrounding mental health, the 2018 Children Mending Hearts Global Changemakers’s Award for their commitment to positive change through empathy, and the National Association of School Psychologists Special Friend to Children Award.

In May 2019, the United Nations’ World Health Organization (WHO) appointed Cynthia as a WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Mental Health. In this role, she works to educate and promote healthier lives, improved workforces, and overall mental health on a global scale. Cynthia also served on the Board of the Empowerment Initiative at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is an alumni member of the Board of Governors for the Parsons New School of Design.

Cynthia is a former telecommunications executive whose career in sales and management spanned 25 years. A graduate of West Virginia University, she earned her master’s degree in public administration from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., which she considers invaluable to her work with the foundation.

Born and raised in West Virginia, Cynthia now resides in New York City with her husband, Joe Germanotta. Joe and Cynthia have two wonderful daughters, Natali and Stefani, and are owners of a charming NYC neighborhood restaurant, Joanne Trattoria.  In her free time, Cynthia enjoys writing, walking, and practicing ballet, a lifelong passion. She is honored to work alongside young people, hear their stories, amplify their voices, and collaborate on ways to make the world a kinder and braver place.

US Representative Adriano Espaillat proudly represents New York’s Thirteenth Congressional District.

Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the US House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill, and the north-west Bronx.

First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat was sworn into office on January 3, 2017, during the 115th Congress and is serving his third term in Congress.

Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential US House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities to keep the United States safe, strong, and moving forward. Representative Espaillat is also a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Second Vice Chair. Representative Espaillat is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where he serves as Deputy Whip, and he serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. Through his committee assignments and caucus leadership positions, Representative Espaillat helps advance and amplify legislative priorities and accomplishments that aim to improve the lives of families around the nation.

Together with his Democratic colleagues, Representative Espaillat worked to pass more than 900 bills during the 116th Congress, including bipartisan legislation to clean up government, defend access to affordable health care, lower prescription drug costs, respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, invest in our nation’s infrastructure, and support policies for job creation and economic growth. Additionally, during the 116th Congress, Representative Espaillat introduced more than 40 bills and resolutions aimed at improving the lives of constituents, helping small businesses become more competitive and recover from the pandemic, protecting the rights of immigrants, securing funds to complete the Second Avenue Subway’s extension into East Harlem, and helping to secure federal grant funding for New York’s 13th congressional district.

A steadfast champion for working- and middle-class New Yorkers, Representative Espaillat is a staunch advocate of a fair living wage, immediate and effective investments in affordable housing, meaningful criminal justice reform, infrastructure improvements, expanded youth programs, and better educational opportunities.

Throughout the tenure of his career in public service, Representative Espaillat has been a vocal advocate for protecting tenants, improving schools, and making serious, smart investments in economic development, job creation, and environmental protection. Prior to coming to Congress, I have served as a New York State Senator during which I have represented the neighborhoods of Marble Hill, Inwood, Washington Heights, Hamilton Heights, West Harlem, the Upper West Side, Hell’s Kitchen, Clinton, and Chelsea.

While in the New York State Senate, I have served as the Ranking Member of the Senate Housing, Construction, and Community Development Committee; Chairman of the Senate Puerto Rican / Latino Caucus; and as a member of the Environmental Conservation, Economic Development, Codes, Insurance, and Judiciary committees. Prior to his tenure as a state senator, he served in the New York State Assembly, and in 1996 became the first Dominican American elected to a state legislature. In 2002, Espaillat was elected chair of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus.

Prior to entering elected office, Representative Espaillat served as the Manhattan Court Services Coordinator for the NYC Criminal Justice Agency, a non-profit organization that provides legal services to those in need and works to reduce unnecessary pretrial detention and post-sentence incarceration costs. He later worked as Director of the Washington Heights Victims Services Community Office, an organization offering counseling and other services to families of victims of homicides and other crimes, and as the Director of Project Right Start, a national initiative funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to combat substance abuse by educating the parents of pre-school children.

Representative Espaillat is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated and a proud father and grandfather.

Doni Holloway is an award-winning multimedia journalist with an affinity for telling meaningful and impactful stories. His interest in journalism began when he was six. At that age, he fell in love with and realized the power of words. He’s a speaker, producer and podcast host.

Holloway has served as an ambassador for the Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey & ESSENCE Magazine, returning to the program as an alumnus and guest speaker, entertainment host and mentor. He’s an alumni board member of the Asian American Journalists Association JCamp, assisting with program operations.

The Laurinburg, NC native has won numerous national, state and local awards for his journalistic and leadership endeavors. He has been featured in U.S. News & World Report, Electronic Urban Report, Talking Biz News, the National Association of Black Journalists Journal and numerous other publications.

Holloway has won more than 25 awards and has reported around the country, in China, and has spoken at a myriad of venues, including the National Press Club. He’s also a frequent moderator of events. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in broadcast journalism, where he was named as the National Association of Black Journalists Student Journalist of the Year. Holloway is now producer of the “Why Is This Happening?” podcast with Chris Hayes at NBC/MSNBC. He previously worked at Bloomberg News in New York City, where he created content for television, radio, podcasts and grew the Bloomberg Businessweek podcast to be the company’s highest grossing one. Before working at Bloomberg, he was an Emma Bowen fellow in the NBC Washington network newsroom from 2015-2017.