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Five Brooklyn Founders Selected To Receive “Just Brooklyn Prize” From The Social Justice Fund & Brooklyn Org

Press Release

A group of nine people stands together, posing for a photo in front of a “Just Brooklyn Prize” event backdrop.
Four people stand together smiling in front of a backdrop with "Social Justice Fund" and "Just Brooklyn Prize" logos; one person holds a sign reading "Just Brooklyn.
Three people in formal attire stand together and smile in front of a step-and-repeat banner displaying Brooklyn Org and social justice foundation logos.
Three people in business attire converse at an indoor networking event with other attendees and tables visible in the background.
Two men stand in front of a backdrop with "Brooklyn.org," "Social Justice Fund," and "The Just Brooklyn Prize" logos. One man holds up a peace sign.
Two people pose indoors, smiling, with one holding a framed black-and-white drawing of the Brooklyn Bridge. There are other people and signs in the background.
Four adults pose together indoors at an event; three women and one man, all smiling and dressed in formal or semi-formal attire.
Four women stand together, smiling, in front of a step-and-repeat banner with "Brooklyn", "The Just Brooklyn Prize", and "Social Justice Fund" logos.
Several people sit in an audience; a woman in the foreground smiles and holds up her phone, appearing to take a photo or video.
Two women embrace in front of a photo backdrop at an event, while other attendees mingle and talk nearby.
A woman and a man in formal attire pose and smile for the camera at an indoor event with other people in the background.

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The Social Justice Fund and Brooklyn Org announced today the recipients of the third annual Just Brooklyn Prize, an award that celebrates five community leaders who have built momentum for positive change and sustained impact in Brooklyn. Each winner of the Just Brooklyn Prize will receive an unrestricted $20,000 grant in recognition of their dedication to strengthening and building power within Brooklyn’s communities.

Representing a range of professional pursuits including community safety, arts and culture, education, and youth mentorship, the winners will be honored with a free and public award ceremony at Barclays Center on November 14th.

The 2025 recipients of the Just Brooklyn Prize are:

  • Shneaqua Purvis, Founder, Both Sides of the Violence, leads community-based healing and mentorship programs to support both victims and perpetrators of gun violence.
  • Olaronke Akinmowo, Founder & Director, The Free Black Women’s Library, creates a free community-centered social art project and literary hub dedicated to Black women/writers.
  • Crystal Clarity, Founder, Medicine Walls, utilizes the arts as a tool for social activism.
  • Cathie Wright-Lewis, Founder & Executive Director, Power in the Pen, organizes weekly writing workshops that mentor underserved writers.
  • Derrick Nkosi Cain, Founder, Touchdown NYC, mentors justice-impacted citizens in navigating their reentry to society.

“We started the Just Brooklyn Prize as a collective “thank you” to honor community leaders. We hope that our support allows them to breathe easier while they continue to do their great work,” said Clara Wu Tsai, founder of the Social Justice Fund and owner of the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, and Barclays Center. “I’m inspired by their efforts to expand access to the arts, increase mentorship opportunities, and address community safety issues. Their work makes Brooklyn a better home to us all.”

“Brooklyn Org is deeply grateful to partner with the Social Justice Fund in honoring our borough’s unsung heroes,” said Brooklyn Org President and CEO Dr. Jocelynne Rainey. “These five fantastic leaders embody the spirit of relentless dedication to change that is the lifeblood of Brooklyn’s communities and we are thrilled to celebrate their contributions and elevate their example.”

The 2025 Just Brooklyn Prize winners were chosen by a selection committee of Brooklynites, including:

  • Sharon Daughtry, Executive Director, Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance
  • Rev. Dr. Emma Jordan-Simpson, President, Auburn Theological Seminary
  • C. Zawadi Morris, 2023 Just Brooklyn Prize Winner, Founder and Publisher, BK Reader
  • Randy Peers, President and CEO, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce
  • Maya Wiley, President and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
  • Angela Yee, Host, Way Up With Angela Yee 
  • Jo-Ann Yoo, Executive Director, Asian American Federation
  • Diahann Billings, Chief Executive Officer, Prep for Prep
  • Philip Li, President & CEO, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation

About the Social Justice Fund

Clara Wu Tsai launched The Social Justice Fund in 2020 in Brooklyn to focus on the inequities and work to support economic mobility within communities across the borough. Driven by a $50 million commitment over ten years, the Social Justice Fund invests in programs that are scalable and confront the root causes of racial gaps in education, health, and wealth.

About Brooklyn Org

Brooklyn Org is a champion for Brooklyn bringing together community changemakers to be a new model for local philanthropy, built from the ground up, in pursuit of a more equitable and just borough. Since its founding in 2009, Brooklyn Org has moved over $130 million to nonprofits through its strategic grantmaking and Donor Advised Funds, while driving action to address urgent crises and long-term change in Brooklyn. Learn more at brooklyn.org.

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