It was wonderful to be together—to be home—at the 2023 North Star Fund Community Gala! What a beautiful, joyous and memorable evening celebrating New York’s powerful grassroots movements for justice.
We want to express our gratitude to the nearly 500 people who attended the “social justice prom”—and to everyone who was with us in spirit. The night was full of music and dancing, all the sequined and festive attire, flowers and “good gossip” about gala attendees that lifted our spirits and fed our souls.
We were deeply inspired by the speeches from Frederick Douglass Award Honorees—La Colmena, Sweet Freedom Farm and the UndocuBlack Network. We learned about the transformative organizing these grantee organizations do every day, cheered them on, and chanted together, “Grow Food! Not Prisons!”
THE HONOREES
La Colmena
A community-based organization by and for immigrant day laborers and domestic workers in Staten Island, building leadership through organizing, education, culture and equitable economic development.
Sweet Freedom Farm
A network of rural and urban farmers, community members, activists, artists and incarcerated beloveds using food and farmland as organizing tools for abolition, food sovereignty and economic justice.
The UndocuBlack Network
A multi-generational network of currently and formerly undocumented Black people that fosters power building, shares resources and fights for policy changes for Black immigrants to thrive and live their fullest lives.
THE DETAILS
WHEN
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
6pm-10pm
WHERE
Pier Sixty
60 Chelsea Piers
New York, NY 10011
THE EMCEE
KERRY CODDETT
Kerry Coddett is a Caribbean-American writer, actress, and stand-up comedian from Brooklyn. She is a graduate of the WGA Showrunner Training Program and recently served as a Co-Executive Producer, Showrunner, and Head Writer on Yvonne Orji’s variety special for HBO. Before that, she wrote on both seasons of Flatbush Misdemeanors on Showtime and appeared as a recurring guest star in season 1. On-screen, Kerry has appeared in Hulu’s Ramy, Showtime’s Desus and Mero, and Pause w/ Sam Jay on HBO. Before turning to comedy, Kerry graduated college cum laude at 19 and started her own business as a fashion designer and stylist for Jay-Z.
In 2017, Kerry beat out 63 comedians in the Caroline’s on Broadway Comedy Madness Competition, becoming the first woman in history to win the honor. Kerry has been a selected performer at the New York Comedy Festival, Laughing Skull Festival, Skankfest, The Women In Comedy Festival, The Brooklyn Comedy Festival, and Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival.
She is also the founder of Kwanzaa Crawl, an annual New York City community event that brings in over $500K in one day for local Black-owned businesses.