Ripple of Hope Award
For over 50 years, the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award has honored exemplary leaders across the international business, entertainment, and activist communities who have demonstrated a commitment to social change and reflect Robert Kennedy’s passion for equality, justice, basic human rights, and his belief that each of us can make a difference. Proceeds benefit the important work and programs of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.
Highlights from the 2022 gala
Frank Baker's 2022 Ripple of Hope Remarks
Brian Moynihan's 2022 Ripple of Hope Remarks
Karen Kenyatta Russell's 2022 Ripple of Hope Remarks
Michael Polsky's 2022 Ripple of Hope Remarks
President Volodymyr Zelensky's 2022 Ripple of Hope Remarks
The inspiration for the Ripple of Hope Award comes from Robert F. Kennedy’s most famous speech in 1966 when he visited South Africa during the worst years of apartheid:
“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
Past Ripple of Hope laureates include Barack Obama, Tim Cook, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Belafonte, John Lewis, Hillary Clinton, Bono, and Joe Biden.