Liberty Hill Foundation Celebrates 50 Years of Solidarity & Progress at 2026 Upton Sinclair Dinner

LOS ANGELES, May 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty Hill Foundation marked its 50th Anniversary at the 2026 Upton Sinclair Dinner on May 12, 2026. At a moment when communities across Los Angeles are facing deepening inequality, funding uncertainty, and heightened attacks on basic rights, the event was not only a celebration, but a call to action. 

Bringing together organizers, movement leaders, and philanthropic partners, the evening highlighted a clear message: the next 50 years will require greater investment in the infrastructure that builds community power and drives lasting systems change.

Hosted at the Skirball Cultural Center, this year's signature event marked a major milestone in Liberty Hill's history and celebrated the people, partnerships, and movements that have helped shape a more just and equitable Los Angeles. 

The evening honored Liberty Hill's visionary co-founders — Sarah Pillsbury, Larry Janss, Win McCormack, and Anne Mendel — whose bold philanthropic vision helped establish Liberty Hill in 1976. It also recognized two keynote speakers and honorees whose leadership reflects the values at the heart of Liberty Hill's work today: Angélica Salas, Executive Director of the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA) and Joanna Jackson, President & CEO of the Weingart Foundation.

The program featured remarks from emcee Eric Garcetti and Liberty Hill President & CEO Shane Murphy Goldsmith, alongside tributes to the broader community that has carried the organization's mission across generations. The evening also included an immersive "Past is Prologue" Museum, the creation of a live "Vision for the Future Mural," and performances by The Shambles and The Freedom Singers of the Los Angeles Community Action Network.

In her remarks, Shane Murphy Goldsmith reflected on Liberty Hill's enduring role in Los Angeles and the future the community is still called to build. "Fifty years from now, what Los Angeles do you want to see? And what will you do today to plant the seeds of that future? It will be here before we know it. Let's grow something magnificent."

Angélica Salas spoke to Liberty Hill's long partnership with CHIRLA and the urgency of this moment for immigrant communities. "Liberty Hill Foundation has been a cornerstone partner for CHIRLA and helped us win significant advancements for immigrants, for their families and for all of Los Angeles." She added, "And that is why we are gathered here tonight to be inspired by the amazing work of Liberty Hill and be reminded that at our core we are the people who have always stood up in America to make our civil and constitutional rights real in people's lives."

In her keynote remarks, Joanna Jackson underscored the significance of the anniversary and the role of solidarity in a period of backlash and uncertainty. "Tonight is more than an anniversary—it is a reunion, a celebration, and an affirmation of the power of people to drive change." She also told the audience, "I can feel the power and energy in this room, and I am reminded, not only of the change we've made, but the change that is possible."

Event guests included elected officials, longtime supporters, philanthropic partners, organizers, and donor-activists whose leadership and partnership have helped fuel Liberty Hill's impact across youth justice, environmental justice, housing justice, LGBTQ justice, immigrant rights, and broader struggles for racial and social justice in Los Angeles.

For 50 years, Liberty Hill has served as a backbone institution for social justice movements in Los Angeles, specifically channeling resources, convening partners, and building the infrastructure needed to turn community leadership into policy wins and long-term change. 

Today, that role is more critical than ever.

About Liberty Hill Foundation
Liberty Hill Foundation is a laboratory for social change philanthropy. We leverage the power of community organizers, donor activists, and allies to advance social justice through strategic investment in grants, leadership training, and campaigns. We envision a society in which all people have a powerful voice, including those currently shut out of our democracy, people cut off from opportunities because of their skin color, gender or sexual orientation, where they live, or where they were born. We will not rest until society provides justice and equality for all. 

SOURCE Liberty Hill Foundation