PILLAR AWARDS

Ralph Nader is one of America’s most effective social critics. His analyses and advocacy have enhanced public awareness and increased government and corporate accountability. His example has inspired a whole generation of consumer advocates, citizen activists, and public interest lawyers who, in turn, have established their own organizations throughout the country. He first made headlines as a young lawyer in 1965 with his book Unsafe at Any Speed, a scathing indictment that lambasted the auto industry for producing unsafe vehicles. The book led to congressional hearings and the passage of a series of automobile safety laws in 1966. Nader is credited for coining the term "whistleblower."

Justin Amash is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 3rd congressional district from 2011 to 2021.

Mazie Keiko Hirono is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States Senator from Hawaii since 2013. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

The son of a proud, 39-year federal worker, Delegate Mark Sickles was born in Arlington, raised in Annandale, and now lives in Huntington. He has represented the 43rd House District – centered in the Franconia, Kingstowne, Huntington, Lorton, and Ft. Belvoir neighborhoods of South Fairfax County – since 2004.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters is considered by many to be one of the most powerful women in American politics today. She has gained a reputation as a fearless and outspoken advocate for women, children, people of color and the poor. Elected in November 2018 to her fifteenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives with more than 70 percent of the vote in the 43rd Congressional District of California, Congresswoman Waters represents a large part of South Los Angeles.

It was nearly three decades ago when writer-director John Singleton’s freshman film “Boyz N the Hood” gave us a compassionate and deeply human story about growing up black and ambitious with a life that is sadly expendable — long before Black Lives Matter rewrote that narrative. He earned not one, but two Academy Award nominations for helming the movie and penning the script. Though he didn’t win, “Boyz N the Hood” is still talked about as one of the best and most tragically honest films about young black men, cementing its place in cinematic history and in the hearts of audiences across the globe. Singleton was more than a writer and director he also an activist and a whistleblower who stood up to the Hollywood studio system from within the system.John Singleton criticized the major studios March 19, 2014 for refusing to let African-Americans direct black-themed films. "They ain't letting the black people tell the stories," the Oscar-nominated director-writer told students at Loyola Marymount University, expanding on a theme he addressed in a Dec. 18 Hollywood Reporter op-ed piece.