Events

New York, NY–On Thursday, March 26, 2009, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) will present its 2009 Justice in Action Awards to New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, Pulitzer Prize-winning co-authors and human rights activists; Sandra Leung, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; and Dale Minami, civil rights attorney and co-founder of AALDEF, at its 35th Anniversary Celebration at PIER SIXTY, Chelsea Piers, in New York City. The emcees for the evening are ABC News Correspondent Juju Chang and Columbia Journalism School Professor and WNBC-TV Tech Reporter Sree Sreenivasan. Special guests include Tony Award winners David Henry Hwang and B.D. Wong.

Leaders of the business, legal, civil rights and arts communities are expected to attend AALDEF’s 35th Anniversary Celebration. The Gala begins with a 6 p.m. cocktail reception followed by the Justice in Action Awards ceremony, a three-course dinner, and a silent auction. Tables of ten, available at $35,000, $20,000, $15,000, and $10,000, include a VIP reception. Individual tickets start at $500. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company is a major sponsor.

The AALDEF Justice in Action Awards recognize exceptional individuals for their outstanding achievements and contributions in advancing justice and equality. Past recipients include the late civil rights icon Fred Korematsu, David Henry Hwang, Yoko Ono, Mira Nair, Maya Lin, Harold Koh, Charles Ogletree, Jr., Salman Rushdie, Seymour Hersh, and Deval Patrick.

Proceeds from the 35th Anniversary Celebration benefit AALDEF’s legal and educational programs in the areas of economic justice for workers, immigrant rights, voting rights, census policy, language access to services, affirmative action, educational equity and youth rights, affordable housing and equitable development, and the elimination of hate violence, police misconduct, and human trafficking.