Gerard Colby

Gerard Colby is an author, investigative journalist and former National Writers Union president and university-level educator. A cofounder of the Henry Demarest Lloyd Investigative Fund, he authored DuPont Dynasty: Behind the Nylon Curtain and coauthored with Charlotte Dennett Thy Will Be Done: The Conquest of the Amazon: Nelson Rockefeller and Evangelism in the Age of Oil. A whistleblower exposing book publishing secrets via litigation, he shared that story in Into the Buzzsaw: Leading Journalists Expose the Myth of a Free Press.

Person of Conscience

Dr. Waymon Hinson

Dr. Waymon Hinson paid a profound price for standing with Black farmers. Guided by Christian faith and an intolerance for injustice, he confronted institutions that resisted accountability. His scholarship, testimony, and the documentary I’m Just a Layman in Pursuit of Justice exposed racialized harm and the toll USDA discrimination took on families — even as the work strained him personally. His courage, compassion, and integrity endured despite the burdens he carried to tell the truth.

Posthumous Person of Conscience

Scott Smith

Scott Smith is an independent testing expert and environmental advocate who has investigated more than 75 oil and chemical disasters worldwide. Known as “The Guy in the Blue Shirt,” he uncovers hidden environmental hazards and empowers impacted communities with independent science. After the East Palestine train derailment, his tests revealed dangerous soil contamination the EPA had withheld. A named inventor on 25+ patents and founder of the Blue Shirt Justice League, Smith is a 2024 Blueprint Impact Award recipient and Government Accountability Project client.

Person of Conscience

Kathryn "Kate" Neeper

Kathryn "Kate" Neeper served as USAGM Director of Strategy and Performance Assessment (and Chief Strategy Officer). In her executive role, she oversaw operational metrics, agency strategy, and audience reach for VOA's global networks. Following management directives that placed core personnel on administrative leave and shuttered key operations, Neeper joined the lawsuit to defend the agency's statutory mandate and structural governance against unauthorized administrative dissolution.

Journalism

Patsey Widakuswara

Patsy Widakuswara served as Voice of America White House Bureau Chief, covering multiple U.S. administrations and interviewing national leaders on key domestic and foreign policy matters. A veteran broadcast journalist with extensive international reporting experience, she previously made national headlines in 2021 when she was demoted after questioning senior agency officials about editorial independence, a move that sparked widespread press freedom concerns. As a primary plaintiff, she has been a vocal advocate against executive interference with VOA’s statutory firewall.

Journalism

Rep Al Green

Rep. Al Green (D‑TX) is a veteran civil‑rights advocate and longtime member of Congress, first elected in 2005. Born in New Orleans in 1947, he earned his J.D. from Texas Southern University and previously served 26 years as a Harris County Justice of the Peace. In Congress, he has focused on fair housing, financial oversight, and justice for marginalized communities. Green also led the Houston NAACP for a decade, expanding its membership and civic impact.

Political Courage

Courtney Williams

Williams is recognized for bringing forward allegations involving sexual harassment, abuse of power, and a culture of impunity within one of the military’s most secretive communities.

Shaw-Marven Pillar