When
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 5:30PM - 8:30PM EDT
Where
We invite you to join us at our annual benefit, where we build community, celebrate our progress over the past year, plan for inter-generational action to move us collectively forward, and experience joy together. At ERASE Racism, our civil rights work in fair housing, educational equity, and youth leadership has never been more urgent. As Dr. King reminded us, the "fierce urgency of now" calls us to act now and stand together against attacks on racial and social justice, marching forward toward progress.
Join us on June 3rd.
Join us on June 3rd.
Evening's Honorees
Abraham Krasnoff Courage and Commitment Award Honoree
Nikole Hannah-Jones is the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the 1619 Project and a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. The book version of The 1619 Project as well as the 1619 Project children's book, Born on the Water, were instant #1 New York Times bestsellers. Her 1619 Project is now a six-part docuseries on Hulu and won the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.
Hannah-Jones has spent her career investigating racial inequality and injustice, and her reporting has earned her the MacArthur Fellowship, known as the Genius grant, a Peabody Award, two George Polk Awards and the National Magazine Award three times.
She also serves as the Knight Chair of Race and Journalism at Howard University, where she founded the Center for Journalism & Democracy. Hannah-Jones is also the co-founder of the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, which seeks to increase the number of investigative reporters and editors of color, and in 2022 she opened the 1619 Freedom School, a free, afterschool literacy program in her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa. Hannah-Jones holds a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned her Bachelor of Arts in History and African-American studies from the University of Notre Dame. Click here to view the Press Release.
Hannah-Jones has spent her career investigating racial inequality and injustice, and her reporting has earned her the MacArthur Fellowship, known as the Genius grant, a Peabody Award, two George Polk Awards and the National Magazine Award three times.
She also serves as the Knight Chair of Race and Journalism at Howard University, where she founded the Center for Journalism & Democracy. Hannah-Jones is also the co-founder of the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, which seeks to increase the number of investigative reporters and editors of color, and in 2022 she opened the 1619 Freedom School, a free, afterschool literacy program in her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa. Hannah-Jones holds a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned her Bachelor of Arts in History and African-American studies from the University of Notre Dame. Click here to view the Press Release.
V. Elaine Gross Trailblazer Awardee
Monique Fitzgerald
Monique Fitzgerald is a justice seeker, a community advocate and organizer. She has been working in her community for two decades. Focusing on mutual aid efforts, know your rights, community resource distribution, food sovereignty, environmental and climate justice. She was born and raised in North Bellport and is a Black and an indigenous person of occupied Long Island. Monique attended St Joseph’s College and obtained her bachelors degree in Community Health and Human Services in 2012. She then went on and obtained her Master’s degree at Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare. Her lived experiences and education put her on a path to work with great organizations and co-creating groups that are aligned with her values such as the Brookhaven Landfill Action and Remediation Group a grassroots intergenerational environmental justice group. She believes in the attainment of justice and liberation. Click here to view the Press Release.
John Wenzel Scholarship Awardee
Matthew DaCosta
Matthew DaCosta was selected for this year’s John Wenzel Scholarship due to the dedication and passion he has exhibited in ERASE Racism’s Youth Development for Leadership Initiative. John Wenzel, a resident of Sea Cliff, NY, on Long Island for more than 50 years, was a longstanding champion of ERASE Racism and a long-time Board Member of the Rauch Foundation. He died in late 2023. This is the third year that the John Wenzel Scholarship has been awarded.
Matthew is a senior at Malverne High School in Malverne, New York, and will be attending Duke University in Fall 2026 to study public policy. Matthew cites his experiences with activism, and as the chair of ERASE Racism’s Student Task Force, as inspiring his desire for a career where he can continue advocating for and impacting positive changes. This year, Matthew was awarded the prestigious Princeton Prize in Race Relations, which recognizes high school students who have demonstrated leadership in advancing racial equity or promoting racial understanding in their schools and communities.
Matthew is a senior at Malverne High School in Malverne, New York, and will be attending Duke University in Fall 2026 to study public policy. Matthew cites his experiences with activism, and as the chair of ERASE Racism’s Student Task Force, as inspiring his desire for a career where he can continue advocating for and impacting positive changes. This year, Matthew was awarded the prestigious Princeton Prize in Race Relations, which recognizes high school students who have demonstrated leadership in advancing racial equity or promoting racial understanding in their schools and communities.
Please note that any sponsorships, journal ads, and name listings purchased after May 25, 2026 will only be featured in the digital version of the Benefit Journal.
Tickets
| Ticket Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Individual Ticket - April 4, 2026 to June 1, 2026 | $275.00 |
