NEW YORK, NY — On September 29th, Peace Action Fund of New York State (PAFNYS) will present the 2025 William Sloane Coffin, Jr. Peacemaker Awards to lifelong educator and former U.S. Congressman, Jamaal Bowman, and anti-racist educator and activist, Jesse Hagopian at a ceremony in New York City attended by leading peace and justice activists.

Jamaal Bowman and Jesse Hagopian were selected as this year’s 2025 Peacemaker Awards honorees for their tireless activism and efforts to fight back in the midst of the Right’s all-out assault on education in the United States. Now more than ever, it is crucial to uplift the anti-racist educators who are defending young Americans’ right to learn the truth about the nation’s history. 

A coalition of 108 national and New York-based organizations — led by the Peace Action New York State, the National Iranian American Council New York Chapter, and MPower Change Action Fund — has sent urgent letters to Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand condemning their votes backing weapons transfers to Israel amid its assault on Gaza.

The struggle for a liberatory education in the U.S. has a long history, from the days when it was illegal for Black Americans to be literate, to the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, to Black Lives Matter, and beyond. Today, educators are again under intense attack for daring to challenge entrenched power structures, institutional racism, and our country's fraught history of colonialism and exploitation — in other words, to teach truth. At the same time, students who dare to speak out about injustice — from trans rights, to police brutality, to genocide in Palestine — face attacks from the very school administrations who should be protecting and supporting them.

This year, we invite you to join us in honoring the anti-racist educators who remain steadfast in challenging the status quo, as well as the students they empower to speak out. Let's honor those who dare to TEACH TRUTH! 

Last week, our PANYS network commemorated the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki — which occurred on August 6th and 9th, 1945, respectively — with events across New York State. Every year, this is a time for our community to gather in mourning, remembrance, and in solidarity with all the communities affected by the destructive power of nuclear weapons at every level of their development, testing, and use. It is also an important time for us to amplify the call of the Hibakusha, standing firm in the conviction that nuclear weapons must be abolished. In total, our New York network hosted at least 15 events for the public to join us in commemorating the atomic bombings.