October 28, 2022
NEWARK – The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice is hosting its 17th annual Gala at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark tonight, October 17 at 6 p.m.
New Jersey’s social justice event of the year features cocktails at NICO Kitchen + Bar followed by dinner and an awards presentation in the Prudential Hall Lobby at NJPAC. The event is being livestreamed on Facebook.
“We are thrilled to celebrate tonight with our friends, supporters, sponsors and an incredible lineup of Honorees who are social justice warriors – including Darnella Frazier, whose moments of courage inspired a worldwide movement for racial justice,” said Ryan Haygood, President & CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. “Our Advocacy is Power theme perfectly reflects the spirit of our spectacular team – working day in and day out to empower Black and other communities of color throughout New Jersey. Tonight, we celebrate the fruits of that work, and double down on our commitment to do social and racial justice in the Garden State.”
Tonight’s Honorees include:
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Darnella Frazier, Pulitzer Prize Winner who recorded the George Floyd video
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Jelani Cobb, Columbia Journalism School; Staff Writer, The New Yorker
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Douglas S. Eakeley, Alan V. Lowenstein Professor of Corporate and Business Law, Rutgers Law School; Institute Trustee and Immediate Past Chair
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New Jersey Faith Allies for a Reparations Task Force: Say the Word, represented by Rabbi Joel Abraham, Rabbi, Temple Sholom; Rev. Dr. Darrell Armstrong, Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church; Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael, Senior Co-Minister, Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair; Imam Wahy-ud Deen Shareef, Convener of the Council of Imams in New Jersey; The Right Reverend William H. Stokes, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey; Rabbi David Vaisberg, Senior Rabbi, Temple B’nai Abraham (some will be present)
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Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, represented by Zenola Harper, VP, Litigation, Labor and Employment
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PSEG, represented by Rick Thigpen, Senior VP, Corporate Citizenship
The event also features Newark Mayor Ras Baraka performing spoken word piece “What We Want” and Hon. Tiffany Williams Brewer performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
The Institute is grateful to the generous sponsors of this event, including corporate and individual sponsors: Alger; Arnold and Porter; Bank of America; Cravath; Focus for Health Foundation; Greenberg Traurig; Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey; Howard and Meg Jacobs; Lowenstein Sandler; Mars Wrigley; McCarter & English; Patterson Belknap; PSEG; Prudential; RWJ Barnabas Health; United Airlines; Verizon; Theodore V. and Nina M. Wells; and Windels Marx.
Press who made arrangements in advance are invited to attend.
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