Emiko Badillo and Michaelynn Hawk: Hunter-Pious and Jeannette Rankin Award Recipients

Congratulations to Emiko Badillo!

Emiko will be receiving the Hunter-Pious Award, given to a Social Justice Fund member who has devoted long-term service to Social Justice Fund and its work.

As a participant of three Giving Projects, Emiko has been a significant support system for fellow members in their fundraising efforts. Her positive attitude and passion for social justice is contagious and has been vital in building a strong Social Justice Fund community in Portland.

Emiko Badillo is originally from San Antonio, Texas and has lived in Portland since 2002. Being vegan since 1997, most of her activism has been around animal rights issues, until living in white-dominated Portland pushed her to look for other POCs and become a member of Social Justice Fund NW.

Through SJF NW’s Giving Project in Portland, she learned about systemic oppression and discovered the power regular people have to change power imbalances. She’s now dedicated to working in racial justice issues and bridging the gap between human and animal rights work. She helped start the group Portland Vegans of Color and is doing her best to make change in Portland and beyond. When not doing those things, she’s usually helping run Food Fight! Vegan Grocery, walking her dog-friends, or playing drums.

Congratualtions to Michaelynn Hawk!

We will be presenting Michaelynn with the Jeannette Rankin Award for her longtime activism and extraordinary service to the Social Justice Fund region of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon and Washington.

As a community organizer and leader, Michaelynn has focused on education, healthcare, policing, and other social justice issues. She is the Executive Director of Indian People’s Action (IPA), an organization that has worked to stop the Keystone XL and bring attention to the disproportionate impact of the criminal justice system on Native communities. Michaelynn is a great resource and advocate for the Native community in Montana.

Michaelynn Hawk, is an enrolled member of the Crow Tribe, and the current Director/Organizer for Indian People’s Action in Montana. She has six boys, with one still home. Michaelynn has been a long time leader focusing on health care, voting rights, environmental, policing, and other issues. Michaelynn is on the board of directors for Alliance for a Just Society. She is also coordinator for the First People’s Market in Butte for the Montana Folk Festival. One of her more important work in Indian Country around Health Disparities is a publication called An American Debt Unpaid. 

“Michaelynn is strong, honest and natural leader with her focus on helping individuals regardless of race to have a voice in creating equality for all,” says Oliver Semans Sr., Ececutive Director at Four Directions. We are excited to honor her contributions to our community.

For more information about Movement: A Social Justice Fund Celebration, or to buy tickets to the event, go here.

Hunter–Pious Award*

The Hunter–Pious Award is given to a Social Justice Fund member who has devoted long-term service to the Fund and its work.

David H. Hunter was a founding Board Member of the Social Justice Fund (then A Territory Resource). He was also a lifelong community activist and former Director of the Stern Family Fund and the Ottinger Foundation. David based his career on creating progressive, collaborative philanthropy and had a significant impact on the development of social change philanthropy.

Connie Pious joined the Social Justice Fund NW in 1994 and quickly became one of our most active volunteers. Connie chaired the Grants Oversight Committee where she was a strong and vigilant leader, always holding us to the commitment expressed in our vision and mission of building an inclusive progressive regional movement. In everything she did with Social Justice Fund NW, Connie’s integrity and her deep and abiding love of people and of justice was always evident. Connie was a living example of the kind of person many of us aspire to become.
*Named shortened in 2013

Jeanette Rankin Award

The Jeanette Rankin Award is given to a lifelong activist who has provided extraordinary service to the Social Justice Fund region of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Washington and Oregon.

After attending the University of Washington, Jeanette Rankin was the first woman to serve in Congress, representing the state of Montana. She was an active member of the women’s suffrage movement, and served as a community organizer, labor activist, and lifelong peace activist. As a pacifist, Jeanette was one of a few Congressional members to vote against the United States’ entrance into World War I and later, World War II. Jeanette’s work helped secure rights for women, children and independent thinkers in the Northwest and across the United States.