THE COMMON GOOD AMERICAN SPIRIT AWARDS

Honoring heroes whose fearless and determined actions inspire others to do their best for the common good

Thursday, May 18th from 6:00-8:15 pm at the New-York Historical Society

NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 

WHAT

The American Spirit Awards are given each year to those extraordinary individuals who exemplify the best of the American spirit, demonstrating their commitment to our constitutional democracy, to freedom, to equality, to dignity for all, and to the common good.

WHO

This year we honor distinguished individuals such as Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, one of the most impactful leaders in the nation's history; Judge J. Michael Luttig, the conservative voice of reason at a decisive moment in our history; our heroic Capitol police officers who defended the people's House on January 6th; business leader/activist Bernard Schwartz for his efforts to pass the most important infrastructure bill in decades; Governor Bill Richardson for his exceptional success in securing the release of Americans held abroad in hostile nations;  Dr. Henry Louis Gates, the Harvard scholar who has been instrumental in elevating Black achievements, history, and culture; and Fred Guttenberg, who fights passionately for sensible gun regulation and lost his daughter Jaime in the Parkland school shooting - all key figures of the past few years.

Our presenters will be impressive too: Secretary Jeh Johnson, former Secretary of Homeland Security, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, former Director for European Affairs for the U.S. National Security Council, Ray McGuire, past NYC mayoral candidate and President of Lazard; Ari Melber, MSNBC's host of The Beat; and Nicole Hockley, gun safety advocate and mother of Dylan, murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary, are already confirmed.  Margaret Hoover, host of PBS' Firing Line and CNN's John Avlon will host the event.

Many expected in our audience are also notable, such as Commissioner Bill Bratton, venture capitalist Alan Patricof, historian Douglas Brinkley, diplomat/businessman Robert Hormats, MSNBC's Ana Cabrera, documentary filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, and many others.  More information about the evening is available here on our website. 

2023 Awardees, in order of presentation:

• Fred Guttenberg - Citizen Activism Award
• Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. - Thought Leadership Award
• Fmr. Governor Bill Richardson - Distinguished Public Service Award
• Bernard Schwartz - Distinguished Business Leadership Award
• Capitol and Metro Police Officers - Courage in Public Service Award - including Michael Fanone and Gladys Sicknick (accepting the award for her son who died in the line of duty, Brian Sicknick)
• Judge J. Michael Luttig - Courage in Public Service Award
• Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi - Distinguished Public Service Award

WHEN/WHERE

Thursday, May 18th from 6:00-8:15 pm

New-York Historical Society
170 CENTRAL PARK WEST, NEW YORK, NY 10024 

6:00-6:45pm:  VIP 'Green Room' Cocktail Reception & Photo Ops with our awardees, speakers, and special guests (Patricia D. Klingenstein Library)
7:00-8:15pm:  American Spirit Awards Program (Robert H. Smith Auditorium)
8:15-9:30pm: Gala Dinner (Patricia D. Klingenstein Library)

Press registration: Email [email protected] or 413-644-6335. We encourage press attendance at the awards program from 7-8:15pm.  Members of the press intending to report on the evening may be comped attendance for the cocktail or dinner portion on a case-by-case basis.

The Common Good is one of the nation's premier nonprofit, nonpartisan platforms presenting outstanding voices for discussions and briefings on national policies and trends. We've featured important leaders and experts on public policy issues from across the political spectrum and the globe, such as Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush; Secretaries of State John Kerry, Henry Kissinger, and Antony Blinken; Homeland Secretaries Jeh Johnson and Michael Chertoff, among many others. Our Honorary Advisory Board includes such distinguished figures as Senator Bob Corker, Secretary Jeh Johnson, Hon. Jane Harman, Ambassador Christopher Hill, venture capitalist Alan Patricof, scientist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, historian Jon Meacham and a number of prominent business leaders, activists, and others making a difference. Thousands of audience members have gained invaluable insights about today's current events from our distinguished roster of speakers. (See our website.)

SOURCE The Common Good