Ms. Foundation For Women Hosts The 33rd Annual Gloria Awards

On May 21, 2021, the Ms. Foundation for Women, the nation’s first and oldest women’s foundation, hosted the 33rd Gloria Awards: A Salute to Women of Vision. The virtual event, themed “Unmuted Joy,” paid tribute to the remarkable achievements of those whose courage and leadership move our society toward a more just and inclusive world.

The Gloria Awards is a yearly celebration to benefit Ms. Foundation grantee partners around the country and to recognize leaders who have made an indelible impact on the movement for gender equity at the local, state, and national levels. The event raised funds that will help support women-led nonprofits and community organizations in the nation’s most impacted communities.

Rise CEO and founder Amanda Nguyen, Immunologist at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Moderna Vaccine co-developer Dr. Kizzmekiah Corbett, 2021 Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman were among those honored at the event. Dr. Corbett received the Marie C. Wilson Emerging Leader Award, honoring trailblazing feminist leaders who amplify their voice and enact positive change by paving the way for generations to come.

What I want women and girls of color, in particular, to know is that you have a purpose. You have meaning. And you belong. Oftentimes we are made to feel like we are outside of all the great things that are happening when actually the opposite is true. We are at the heart of it. Women of color have been and continue to be the backbone of this country.”

Dr. Kizzmekiah Corbett, Marie C. Wilson Emerging Leader Award recipient

This year’s theme had a special meaning for spoken word poet Amanda Gorman, who opened up about pursuing her passion despite her speech impediment. “To ‘unmute joy,’ you also have to unmute your hope, your faith, your belief, your fire. And one of the ways in which continue to unmute my joy is by unmuting my voice,” Gorman said. Gorman is a recipient of the Free to Be You and Me Award, an award honoring young activists enacting change and leading the way for future generations.

Annually, the Ms. Foundation honors grassroots leaders, influencers, and philanthropists who have made an indelible impact on the gender justice movement at the local, state, and national levels. This year, Marissa Nuncio, Director of The Garment Worker Center, and Laura Jiménez, Executive Director for California Latinas for Reproductive Justice were the recipients of this Women of Vision Award, honoring feminist leaders who create positive change.

I want to remind you that even so, we have made significant wins: passing legislation to support young parents, defeating restrictive abortion laws at the Supreme Court, and turning out voters. This is the power of women, girls, and femmes who will not be silenced into submission. So, make sure you use your voice to speak about issues that matter to you because your voice matters for you and so many others.”

Laura Jiménez, Women of Vision Award recipient

Founding Mothers Gloria Steinem, Marlo Thomas, Patricia Carbine, and Letty Cottin-Pogrebin made special appearances for the event, discussing the history of the founding of the Ms. Foundation for Women in 1973.

“We were very purposeful. We were ambitious, audacious, and purposeful. You have to be that way to change the world,” said Thomas.

“Even in the face of the most daunting challenges and great pain, women found the passion and determination to continue to fight for equality and justice,” Steinem said.

The 33rd Gloria Awards: A Salute to Women of Vision is still available for viewing at: wov2021.forwomen.org and paid ticket purchasers can gain access to the full exclusive Founding Mothers conversation.