HPJC’s Peacemaker Awards Dinner is an annual celebration honoring local Houston leaders and national voices for peace and justice.
These are the outstanding national and local recipients HPJC has honored:
2023 National Peacemaker Award: Texas Observer (Gabriel Arana & Josephine Lee)
Local Honorees: Kristen Schlemmer, Jacilet Griffin, Lorena Perez McGill
2022 National Peacemaker Award: Dr. Reuben Jonathan Miller
Local Honorees: Drs. Peter Hotez and Maria Elena Bottazzi, Lenore Walker, Rep. Senfronia Thompson
2021 Peacemaker Award (given jointly with My Brother’s Keeper-Houston):
George Floyd Foundation and James Byrd Jr Family
Local Honorees: (none in 2021 due to pandemic)
2020 National Peacemaker Award: Shannon Watts
Local Honorees: Martina Grifaldo, Meals on Wheels Houston, Moms Demand Action
2019 National Peacemaker Award: Roxanne Dunbar-Otiz
Local Honorees: Undies for Everyone, Judge Lina Hidalgo and Egberto Willies
2018 National Peacemaker Award: Chuck Collins
Local Honorees: Dr. Gerald Horne, United We Dream (HTX Chapter) and the Children’s Prison Arts Project
2017 National Peacemaker Award: Chief Arvol Looking Horse
Local Honorees: Diane Wilson, Jacquelyn Battise, and the Texas Organizing Project (TOP)
2016 National Peacemaker Award: Sonia Nazario
Local Honorees: Ashton Woods, Jackie Young, and Bren Hardt
2015 National Peacemaker Award: Chris Hedges
Local Honorees: Benjamin Craft-Rendon, Yudith Nieto, and the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition
2014 National Peacemaker Award: Medea Benjamin
Local Honorees: Dr. Robert Bullard, the Station Museum of Contemporary Art and “5 Dynamic Young Latinas” Jannell Robles, Maria Xiquin-Espinosa, Dayana Gomez Mendoza, Acuña-Arreaza & Silvia Chicas
2013 National Peacemaker Award: Dennis Kucinich
Local Honorees: Francisco (Pancho) Arguelles, Christine Kovic, Lisa Falkenberg, and Mustafaa Carroll
2012 National Peacemaker Award: Bryan Stevenson
Local Honorees: Margaret Nosek, PhD., Ovide Duncantell, and “Justice for Janitors” (Alice McGee/Adriana Vasquez)
2011 National Peacemaker Award: Jim Hightower
Local Honorees: Johnny Mata, Center for the Healing Racism, and Food Not Bombs
2010 National Peacemaker Award: Dr. Helen Caldicott
Local Honorees: Texans Together, Richard Shaw, Sylvia Gonzales, and Awanda Whitworth (special posthumous award)
2009 National Peacemaker Award: Helen Thomas
Local Honorees: Ester King, Col. Ann Wright, Houston Peace News, and the Progressive Forum Radio Show
2008 National Peacemaker Award: Center for Constitutional Rights
Local Honorees: MECA, Rothko Chapel, UH Students Against Sweatshops
2007 National Peacemaker Award: Cindy Sheehan
Local Honorees: Rodney Ellis, Houston Area Women’s Center, Bob Randall
2006 National Peacemaker Award: Roy Bourgeois
Local Honorees: Amy Branham, Ray Hill, Omawale Luthuli
2005 National Peacemaker Award: Bob Jensen
Local Honorees: Garnet Coleman, Sissy Farenthold, Maria Jimenez
2004 National Peacemaker Award: Kathy Kelly
Local Honorees: SHAPE Community Center, Texans Against Gun Violence, Marilyn White
2003 National Peacemaker Award: Rep. Barbara Lee
Local Honorees: Ada Edwards, KPFT, Gordon Quan
Photo Credits:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannon_Watts#/media/File:Shannon_Watts_(48582724571).jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Shannon_Watts_%2848582724571%29.jpg/1620px-Shannon_Watts_%2848582724571%29.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medea_Benjamin#/media/File:Medea_Benjamin_1.JPG
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Medea_Benjamin_1.JPG/637px-Medea_Benjamin_1.JPG
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roxanne_Dunbar-Ortiz#/media/File:NLN_Roxanne_Dunbar_Ortiz_(cropped).jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/NLN_Roxanne_Dunbar_Ortiz_%28cropped%29.jpg/635px-NLN_Roxanne_Dunbar_Ortiz_%28cropped%29.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathy_Kelly#/media/File:Lasallian_Youth_2008.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Lasallian_Youth_2008.jpg/687px-Lasallian_Youth_2008.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Jensen#/media/File:Robert_Jensen_speaking_at_York_University.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Robert_Jensen_speaking_at_York_University.jpg/480px-Robert_Jensen_speaking_at_York_University.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Bourgeois#/media/File:Roy_Bourgeois_3.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Roy_Bourgeois_3.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cindy_Sheehan#/media/File:Cindy_Sheehan_at_White_House.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Cindy_Sheehan_at_White_House.jpg/540px-Cindy_Sheehan_at_White_House.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Thomas#/media/File:Helen_Thomas.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Helen_Thomas.jpg/361px-Helen_Thomas.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Caldicott#/media/File:Helen_Caldicott,2007(cropped).jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Helen_Caldicott%2C_2007_%28cropped%29.jpg/339px-Helen_Caldicott%2C_2007_%28cropped%29.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hightower#/media/File:Jim_Hightower_2015_(cropped).jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Jim_Hightower_2015_%28cropped%29.jpg/409px-Jim_Hightower_2015_%28cropped%29.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Hedges#/media/File:Chris_hedges_blur.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Chris_hedges_blur.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Stevenson#/media/File:Bryan_Stevenson_at_TED_2012.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Bryan_Stevenson_at_TED_2012.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Kucinich#/media/File:Dennis_Kucinich,_Official_Portrait,_112th_Congress.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Dennis_Kucinich%2C_Official_Portrait%2C_112th_Congress.jpg