2025 A. Philip Randolph “Gentle Warrior Awards” Gala

On Saturday, February 22, 2025, the National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum (NAPRPPM) will celebrate its 30th founding Anniversary and will host the 2025 A. Philip Randolph “Gentle Warrior Awards” Gala. This is our annual primary fund-raiser.

The event will take place from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. at WINTRUST Grand Banking Hall located at 231 S La Salle St, Chicago, IL 60604 (Valet parking available) –  Tickets start at $200.00

The Gentle Warrior Awards Black-Tie Gala Fundraiser is always attended by a diverse roster of labor union leadership, Chicago’s “Who’s Who” and an impressive list of museum supporters.  It’s one of the most highly anticipated labor events of the year.

The posh red carpet awards presentation event will be co-hosted by ABC 7 Chicago’s celebrity emcees Val Warner and Hosea Sanders. A highlight of the event will feature a performance by Jazz legend Gerald Albright.

We are excited to invite you to join a fantastic celebration!

Here are highlights from last year’s Gentle Warrior Awards.

Purchase tickets, submit a personal congratulatory ad to appear in the 30th Anniversary Souvenir Ad Book, and secure sponsorship right from this page.

Click here to Download the Sponsor Packet (PDF)

Click here to Download the Ad Form & Size Requirements (PDF)

This year’s honorees in both the A. Philip Randolph Gentle Warrior Award and Change Agent, have not only invoked change but have demanded change throughout their community, politics, and policies.

2025 Gentle Warrior Award honorees:

• April Verrett, who was elected the first Black President of SEIU, the 2nd-largest union in America
• U.S. Congressman, Hakeem Jeffries (D- NY)
• Maven Michelle Flowers, in Public Relations and Communications of Flowers Communications
• Posthumously, William Bill Lucy, founding member of CBTU and former President Emeritus of AFSCME

 Change Agent Recipients:

• This year’s Change Agent Awardee in the category of Labor is Kevin McLaughlin, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of Mid America Carpenters
• In Public Service, the honoree is Bernardo Gomez, Chairman of the City of Chicago’s first-ever Disability Employee Resource Group
• In the area of Community, the Black McDonald’s Operators Association (BMOA)

A. Philip Randolph organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first black labor union in America chartered under the American Federation of Labor (AFL). Randolph was one of America’s foremost labor and civil rights leaders, who became known as the “Gentle Warrior.” The Gentle Warrior Award is presented to individuals who exhibit the similar commitment, focus, and tenacity that Randolph displayed throughout his career.

Past recipients of the prestigious award include individuals from the broader community and include business politics and organized labor.  Past honorees from labor include Elizabeth H. Shuler, president of the 58 unions and 12.5 million members of the AFL-CIO, and Fredrick D. Redmond, the secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO.

The NAPRPP Museum is a 501 (c) 3, cultural institution located in the Pullman National Monument that was designated by President Barack Obama in 2015. Founded in 1995, the NAPRPPM is the only museum of its kind worldwide.

The museum is a public, independently operated Black labor history museum that promotes critical lessons that cross age, class, color, and gender boundaries, carrying messages critical to our society. Successful “Gentle Warrior Awards” events play a significant role in our operational budget and enable us to continue this vital work! 

The promise of the 2025 fundraising event holds significant meaning — It presents a vehicle for the labor community to demonstrate, in a substantial way, appreciation for one of its own.  The funds generated by this awards event will contribute to the museum’s expansion project.