\t\t\t\t\tGeorge Lopez at the Social Impact Summit.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMonica Schipper\/The Hollywood Reporter\/Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tOlympic gold medalist Allyson Felix spoke on the panel \u201cWho Runs the World? Trailblazers in Women\u2019s Health and Wellness,\u201d which explored wellness, mental health, sexual health and Black maternal health.<\/p>\n \n\tShe detailed the challenges she faced during the birth of her child and how that helped her learn more about maternal mortality in the U.S.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI gave birth to my daughter two months early, and she spent a month in the NICU, and I had a severe case of preeclampsia. I had no idea about the crisis that we were facing in America and what was going on,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd when I was doing my research, I saw that it did not discriminate. It didn\u2019t matter that I was an Olympian. It didn\u2019t matter that I was in the best shape of my life. I still found myself in a hospital fighting for my life and my child fighting for hers. And I think that that just shows what a huge issue this is.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tLegend was honored with the Philanthropist of the Year award<\/a> for his work to advance equity and criminal justice reform.<\/p>\n \n\tDuring his speech, Legend also referenced the current political climate, criticizing the Trump administration for its immigration policies.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOur government is kidnapping and disappearing our friends and neighbors \u2014\u00a0our kids\u2019 caregivers in the park \u2014\u00a0and then occupying our streets to silence the voices of those exercising their constitutional rights (and responsibilities, I might add) to dissent,\u201d Legend said in part<\/a>. \u201cOur government is stealing from the poorest children in our communities \u2026 to line the pockets of the wealthiest. Day after day, our government is abandoning the shared values that have inspired us to become our best: To serve as a beacon for the world, to serve as the hope of the tired, of the tempest-tossed, of all who yearn to breathe free. To say nothing of the corruption and the cruelty and the malice and the seeming impunity. And the arsonists, the ones who ignite and stoke this destructive fire, are the ones we elected. The ones who swore to protect this house, to defend its people, its constitution and the rule of law.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIn his acceptance speech, he spoke about how his family motivated him to keep fighting for justice.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cRedemption is possible; it\u2019s not inevitable, but it is possible with grace. I see my family: Chrissy, Luna, Miles, Esti, Wren \u2014 the names that fill my life with faith, hope and love. The Bible says the greatest of these is love. Love has to power everything we do. Everything we fight for and seeing and loving my babies reminds me why I keep fighting for their future, our future.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tFollowing his speech, Legend\u2019s foundation was awarded $25,000 by Craig Cichy, executive director of the Social Impact Fund.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tJohn Legend speaking onstage at the Social Impact Summit.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMonica Schipper\/The Hollywood Reporter\/Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tLabor organizing legend Dolores Huerta participated in the panel \u201cProtect the Block: Safeguarding Communities.\u201d She addressed what she saw as the troubled state of America\u2019s democracy and spoke to the direct action she felt citizens must take to protect their freedom.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAll of us becoming organizers and messengers, we can take that responsibility and be very vocal and start spreading messages of support that people need,\u201d Huerta said. \u201cWe can really save our democracy because we are in a really crucial moment, a critical moment. We\u2019re losing our democracy. Make sure that the people that we know, our family, our neighbors, our organizations, that everybody is involved. We need everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tFollowing the panel, she led the audience in a call-and-response session that ended with the crowd chanting, \u201cSi, se puede.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tFrom left: Social Impact Fund executive director Craig Cichy, Sean Penn, Ann Lee<\/a> and John Legend at the 2025 THR Social Impact Summit.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStefanie Keenan\/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tThe program ended with CORE co-founders Penn and Ann Lee receiving the honor<\/a> for Philanthropic Organization of the Year.<\/p>\n \n\tPenn shared his philosophy<\/a>, which drove his desire to help in regions ranging from Haiti after the island\u2019s devastating 2010 earthquake to his current work rebuilding Los Angeles<\/a> following the Palisades and Eaton fires.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI think often about the people who work with us, and they\u2019re humanitarians,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel much more like a plumber. I don\u2019t really want to talk to babies or sick children or their parents, just tell me what\u2019s broken and we\u2019ll see if I can help fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tHe was also candid about what his organization needed to continue thriving in the future, particularly in light of recent federal government funding cuts<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe God damn well need money. And then if you want to volunteer or offer a skill set of support in some other way to us, we\u2019ll God damn well take that,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen we get money, and I think it\u2019s our strength, I think we\u2019re really good at casting from those communities, people who are leaders already or can be built into leaders. We spend money, I think, very well.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIn addition to presenting sponsor Gilead, the event was sponsored by Public Interest Registry, Heineken, Open Water and Bulleit Frontier Whiskey.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tMaer Roshan, John Legend and Shirley Halperin at the 2025 Social Impact Summit.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStefanie Keenan\/The Hollywood Reporter\/Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>