Maurice Mitchell

About the Truth to Power Award

For Courage That Transforms Systems

Awarded to a leader who fearlessly confronts institutional barriers and entrenched power structures to advance equity and justice. This honoree doesn’t just speak truth—they act on it, shifting narratives, redirecting movements, and creating new possibilities for communities historically locked out of power. Their courage creates cracks in unjust systems through which transformative change flows.

About Maurice Mitchell

Maurice Mitchell embodies the courage and vision that defines the Truth to Power Award. As National Director of the Working Families Party, Maurice has transformed how we think about independent political organizing, building a multi-racial working-class movement that challenges the political establishment and creates new pathways to power for communities historically marginalized by traditional party politics.

Confronting Systems of Power

Maurice’s journey to this moment began with personal tragedy and transformed into systemic change. After Hurricane Sandy destroyed his home in Long Beach, NY, and Mike Brown was killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri, Maurice made a life-altering decision: he relocated to Ferguson to support organizations on the ground. This wasn’t just solidarity—it was a recognition that transforming unjust systems requires putting your body and your life on the line.

Seeing the need for sustained strategic infrastructure within the Movement for Black Lives, Maurice co-founded and managed Blackbird, providing crucial support and guidance to activists across the country. He was a key organizer of the historic Movement for Black Lives convention in Cleveland in 2015, helping to create the strategic framework that would guide racial justice organizing for years to come.

Building Independent Political Power

Since taking the helm of the Working Families Party in 2018, Maurice has demonstrated that speaking truth to power means building alternative power structures. Under his leadership, the WFP has become the political home for a multi-racial working-class movement that refuses to accept the false choices offered by traditional politics.

Maurice understands that real change requires independent political organization—not just working within existing systems, but creating new ones. The Working Families Party under his leadership has:

• Challenged Democratic Party orthodoxy by supporting primary challenges to incumbents who fail to represent working-class interests
• Built cross-racial coalitions that center the needs of Black, Brown, and working-class white communities
• Created pathways for grassroots leaders to run for and win elected office outside traditional party structures
• Developed innovative organizing strategies that connect electoral work to movement building

Transforming Political Narratives

Maurice’s leadership represents a fundamental shift in how we think about political power and change. Rather than accepting incremental progress within existing systems, he has built infrastructure for transformational change. His work with the Working Families Party demonstrates that independent political organizing can win—not just elections, but the larger battle for how we understand democracy and representation.

His strategic vision connects electoral organizing to broader social movements, understanding that lasting change requires both winning elections and shifting the underlying power dynamics that shape our political system. This approach has inspired similar efforts across the country and internationally.

From Tragedy to Transformation

What makes Maurice’s leadership so powerful is how he has transformed personal and collective trauma into sustained political action. The destruction of his home, the murder of Mike Brown, and countless other injustices could have led to despair. Instead, Maurice channeled that pain into building the infrastructure for systemic change.

His work represents the kind of courage the Truth to Power Award celebrates—not just the courage to speak out against injustice, but the courage to build alternatives. Not just the courage to critique existing systems, but the courage to create new ones.

Why This Award Matters

Maurice Mitchell receives the Truth to Power Award because his leadership exemplifies how speaking truth to power requires building independent power. His work with the Working Families Party demonstrates that transforming unjust systems means creating new political formations that can challenge entrenched interests and win.

At a time when many progressive organizations work within the constraints of existing political structures, Maurice has shown that real change requires the courage to build alternatives. His leadership creates space for communities historically locked out of power to organize independently and win on their own terms.

Through his strategic vision, organizational leadership, and unwavering commitment to justice, Maurice Mitchell represents the kind of fearless leadership our democracy needs. His work doesn’t just speak truth to power—it builds the power to transform truth into lasting change.

Recognition at the 2025 Powerful IDEA Awards

Maurice Mitchell will receive the Truth to Power Award at the 2025 Powerful IDEA Awards ceremony on June 25, 2025, at Capital Turnaround in Washington, DC. This recognition honors his visionary leadership in building independent political power and his courage in confronting systems of injustice to create new possibilities for democratic participation.

The award celebrates leaders who understand that lasting change requires not just critique but construction—not just speaking truth to power, but building the power to make truth prevail.

Part of the Powerful IDEA Awards

This award is part of GAIN Power’s Powerful IDEA Awards Program, which celebrates talent and leadership, organizations, programs, communications, and technology powering progressive politics and Impacting Democracy, Elections, and Advocacy. The annual industry program highlights both special marquee awardees and community-nominated awards, celebrating the professional community making our democracy work.