Characteristics of the Honorees

Since the inception of the California Peace Prize, 39 remarkable Californians have been recognized. Honorees include community activists, gang-members-turned-peace-advocates, educators, law enforcement officers, bereaved parents and juvenile court judges. These leaders, all of whom have established results-oriented violence prevention programs in their communities, are representative of hundreds of others working behind the scenes to make Californians safer.

The honorees also reflect the diversity of California and the sad truth that no community is immune from the effects of violence. Recipients have come both from small towns such as Visalia, Ukiah and Shingletown and from large metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco.

Despite — or perhaps because of — their myriad perspectives and expertise, the honorees have united to pursue a single goal: to reduce the senseless killing of California’s youth. The honorees also share a defining characteristic — each has worked tirelessly without expectation of recognition. A few honorees were widely recognized pioneers of violence prevention, such as Judge Leonard Perry Edwards II, Constance Rice and Father Gregory Boyle, but most were completely unsung heroes who were scarcely known outside their immediate circle of supporters.

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