After a three year hiatus, the 2023 McSilver Awards returned on June 2nd, filling the Grand Hall at the NYU Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life. Nearly 200 attendees — including government officials, nonprofit leaders, journalists, members of the NYU community, and many others — gathered to celebrate the work and legacies of six stellar Vanguards for Social Justice: FPWA CEO and Executive Director Jennifer Jones Austin; Robin Hood CEO Richard R. Buery, Jr.; Friends of the High Line Executive Director Alan van Capelle; East Harlem Tutorial Program CEO Jeffrey R. Ginsburg; New York Times Magazine reporter, The 1619 Project creator, and Howard University Knight chair Nikole Hannah-Jones; and speaker and author Karine Jean-Pierre.
The event marked the 10th anniversary of the McSilver Awards, and former honorees were on hand to present awards to the newest cohort of Vanguards for Social Justice. They included Queens Library President and CEO Dennis Walcott, Landing Lights Strategies Founder Michael Hurwitz, New York City First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, No. 1 Immigrant Daughter Author Sayu Bhojwani, and New York City Department of Education Chancellor David C. Banks.
Rose Pierre-Louis, NYU McSilver’s Executive Director and a former McSilver Awards honoree, served as the event’s host, providing those on hand with an update on the wide-ranging and successful efforts underway at the McSilver Institute.
Honoree acceptance remarks are available below, as are photos from the event. Visit our Facebook page for a complete gallery of images, and explore the #McSilverAwards hashtag on Twitter and other platforms for more highlights. And be sure to listen to the night’s playlist–available on Apple Music and Spotify!
Video Highlights
Watch video featuring interviews with the 2023 McSilver Awards honorees, and visit our YouTube channel for more McSilver Awards clips.
Photo Gallery
Thanks to Our Sponsors
The McSilver Awards is made possible by the sponsoring organizations and individuals who share our commitment to actively countering poverty and injustice.
Platinum Sponsors
The Solotar Family Foundation
Marilyn and Jim Simons
Gold Sponsors
Educational Alliance
Erin and Jeff Ginsburg
Noxid Group
Tusk Philanthropies
Jonathan Pollack
Cassie and Billy Rahm
NYU Silver School of Social Work
Urban Resource Institute (URI NYC)
Silver Sponsors
Faraz and Melissa Farzam
The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA)
The Robin Hood Foundation
Alan van Capelle and Matthew Morningstar
Bronze Sponsors
Brown & Weinraub
Dr. Michael A. Lindsey
Rosemonde Pierre-Louis
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
More About the McSilver Awards
Each year, the McSilver Awards recognizes outstanding individuals who are transforming systems to address the needs of individuals, families, and communities living in poverty, locally and globally. For timely updates, check mcsilver.nyu.edu/awards.
