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2025 Frederick Douglass and
Ann Kheel Award Honorees

The Frederick Douglass and Ann Kheel Awards
are bestowed upon individuals and organizations that reflect the mission of the
League, and their support and activism make all the difference.

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Hon. Alvin Bragg

Manhattan
District Attorney

Tina Byles Williams

CEO, CIO, and Founder,

Xponance

Liz Neumark

Founder & CEO, Great Performances
(Ann S. Kheel Honoree)

2024 Award Recipients

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George Gresham

President, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East

Aurora James

Founder, Fifteen Percent Pledge

Renee McClure

Director of DNY Customer

Account Management, National Grid

Camille Joseph-Goldman

Group Vice President, Government Affairs, Charter Communications

(Ann S. Kheel Honoree)

Frederick Douglass & Ann S. Kheel Award

Past Recipients

2024

Thomas Halloran

Alfre Woodard

Alison Overseth (Ann S. Kheel Honeree)

2023

Thomas Halloran

Alfre Woodard

Alison Overseth (Ann S. Kheel Honeree)

2022

Rashida Jones

Phylicia Rashad

James Rhee

Joe Brown (Ann S. Kheel Honeree)

2021

Hank Aaron, posthumously

Micheal Dowling

Crystal McCrary

Raymond McGuire

Dan Schulman

2019

Grasshopper Bancorp, Inc.

Sunny Hostin

Kenneth Thompson, posthumously

(Ann S. Kheel Honoree)

2018

Dapper Dan (Icon Award)

Kyle Hagler

Valeisha Butterfield Jones

(Ann S. Kheel Honoree)

2017

Erica Payne (Ann S. Kheel Honoree)

Tracy Reese

Tiffany R. Warren

2016

Amalgamated Bank

Sherry Bronfman

(Ann S. Kheel Honoree)

Michael Cardozo

Deutsch (Volunteer Award)

2015

Jason Franklin

(Ann S. Kheel Honoree)

GEICO

Macy’s

Dennis M. Walcott

2014

Edward Enniful

CVS Caremark

John King (Ann S. Kheel Honoree)

2013

Bethann Hardison

UPS

NYUL Young Professionals

(Ann S. Kheel Honoree)

2012

Charles M. Blow

Zane Tankel and Apple-Metro

KEM

Michele Cahill (Ann S. Kheel Honoree)

2011

The Hon. David N. Dinkins

Marcus Samuelsson

Cora Weiss (Ann S. Kheel Honoree)

2010

Scott Mills

Sullivan & Cromwell

Susan Patricoff

(Ann S. Kheel Honoree)

2009

Susan W. Dryfoos

William M. Lewis, Jr.

Jessye Norman

2008

Marva Aleen, Hue-Man Bookstoree

Raymond McGuire, Citi

Franklin A. Thomas, TFF Study Group

2007

Deborah Roberts

Al Roker

Allan H. (Bud) Selig

Greater Harlem Chamber of

Commerce

JP Morgan Chase

2006

Jack Belsito

Paul Charron

Dr. Marcella Maxwell

Michael Robinson

2005

John Esposito

Tonya Lewis Lee

David Slackman

2004

Michael Caridi

Jeffrey S. Fried

Bud Greenspan

Ken Kaess

Marie Christmas Rhone

2003

Gerald Boyd

Carla A. Harris

Dennis D. Swanson

2002

Ralph Dickerson, Jr.

Westina Matthews Shatteen

Robert B. Willumstad

2001

Mrs. Theodore W. Kheel

Ken Miller

Russell Simmons

Rev. Dr. Gardner C. Taylor

2000

Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr.

Toni Fay

Tom Freston

1999

Earl G. Graves, Sr.

Dr. Muriel Petioni

Walter V. Shipley

1998

Barbara Smith

George M. Steinbrenner, III

Eugene h. Webb

1997

Dick Gidron, Sr.

Victor Gotbaum

Cicely Tyson

1996

Wynton Marsalis

Leonard Riggio

1995

Edward Lewis

Josie McMillian

James E. Preston

1994

John J. Barrett

Eugene L. McCabe

1993

Dr. James R. Dumpson

Osborn Elliott

Judith Jamison

1992

Horace W. Morris

William A. Schreyer

1991

Ahmet M. Ertegun

Theodore W. Kheel

Florence M. Rice

1990

John B. Carter

Bishop Emerson J. Moore

Dr. Betty Shabazz

1989

Stanley W. Hill

Hon. John V. Lindsay

Dr. Clifton R. Wharton, Jr.

1988

Harry Belafonte

Mrs. Kate Hicks

Thomas S. Murphy

1987

Dorothy I. Height

Lloyd Richards

Lewis Rudin

1986

James L. Ferguson

Dr. Bernard W. Harleston

John T. Patterson, Jr.

1985

James Chancey, Andrew Goodman &

Michael Schwerner, in tribute

Charlayne Hunter-Gault

1984

Gordon Parks

Lillian Roberts

Tom Wicker

1983

Lois K. Alexander

David J. Mahoney

Hon. Percy E. Sutton

1982

Clara Hale

Joseph Papp

Rev. M. Moran Weston

1981

Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp.

Doris Turner

George Weissman

1980

369th Veteran’s Association, inc.

Arthur Mitchell

George Wein

1979

His Eminence, Cardinal Cooke

Louise Fisher Morris, in Memoriam

Gil Noble

1978

Romare Bearden

Lloyd K. Garrison

Hon. Ernest G. Green

1977

Bertha Harris

Rt. Rev. Paul Moore, Jr.

Dr. Robert C. Weaver

1976

James L. Hicks

Hon. Constance Baker Motley

J. Henry Smith

1975

*Aspiring Youth in the Street

Academy Program*

Dr. John L.S. Holloman, Jr.

John Mosler

1974

Dr. Kenneth Clark

Dr. Anna Arnold Hedgeman

Andrew Heiskel

1973

Robert A. Bernhard

Jackie Robinson, in Memoriam

1972

Joan Ganz Cooney

Rev. William A. Jones, Jr.

Whitney M. Young, Jr., in Memoriam

1971

Ennis Francis

Frederick D. O’Neal

Pepsi-Cola Company

1970

Ossie Davis

Ruby Dee

Harvey G. Mehlhouse

1969

Dr. Albert H. Bowker The Boys of Yesteryear, Inc. Donald McGannon

1968

Stephen & Audrey Currier, in

Memoriam

Hon. Robert J. Magnum

Rev. Msgr. Gregory Mooney

1967

Gardner Cowles

Rev. Leo McLaughlin, S.J.

Rev. James H. Robinson, D.D.

1966

A. Philip Randolph

Robert W. Sarnoff

Hon. Robert F. Wagner

NYUL

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