<\/p>\n
\n\tJane Fonda and her recently relaunched Committee for the First Amendment have been tapped as the inaugural recipients of the Impact Entertainment Visionaries Award by the ACLU of Southern California and the Social Impact Entertainment Society.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe award will be presented jointly by the ACLU SoCal and the SIE Society during the Impact + Profit 25 Conference on Dec. 4 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Impact Entertainment Visionaries Award aims to honor \u201cartists and creators whose work exemplifies the power of storytelling to expand cultural freedoms and representation; advance inclusion and spark dialogue on equity and justice; inspire social and behavioral change; [and] collaborate with advocacy organizations and institutions to extend impact beyond the screen,\u201d according to\u00a0 the ACLU SoCal and the SIE Society. This year\u2019s honorees were chosen for \u201ctheir enduring leadership in using storytelling, visibility and creative courage to defend freedom of expression and expand the boundaries of civic discourse.<\/p>\n
\n\tFonda recently relaunched the Committee for the First Amendment on behalf of founding members including Aaron Sorkin, Anne Hathaway, Ashley Nicole Black, Ayo Edebiri, Barbara Streisand, Barry Jenkins, Florence Pugh, Issa Rae, Judd Apatow, Julie Plec, Kerry Washington, Lee Daniels, Natalie Morales, Nikki Glaser, Pedro Pascal, Rob Reiner, Rosario Dawson, Sean Penn, Spike Lee and Viola Davis. In its founding phase, the committee has moved to bring together a growing coalition of artists and storytellers committed to safeguarding creative freedom and resisting censorship. It recently issued a statement from hundreds of artists calling for vigilance against government censorship and intimidation in the creative community and has seen its membership surpass more than 2,000 in just a few weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tOriginally founded in 1947 by artists including Henry Fonda, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Danny Kaye, the Committee for the First Amendment took a stand against censorship and fear during the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThe Committee for the First Amendment stands as a reminder that defending freedom of expression has always been central to democracy \u2014 and to the mission of the ACLU,\u201d said ACLU SoCal Executive Director Chandra S. Bhatnagar. \u201cWe are honored to recognize Jane and this new generation of creators who are carrying that legacy forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tSIE Society co-founders Tobias Deml, Rebecca Grahame Forde, William Nix and Robert Rippberger said the award presentation will be a featured moment at Impact + Profit 25, the SIE Society\u2019s flagship annual conference presented in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs. The event brings together leaders from entertainment, advocacy, innovation and investment to explore how storytelling can shape culture and drive measurable social progress.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tThe third annual Impact + Profit 25 conference, set for Dec. 4-5 and presented with support from the Golden Globe Foundation and Hollywood, Health & Society, will feature panels on media integrity, mental health, Native representation and more.<\/p>\n
\n\tSpeakers and participants will include Bhatnagar (ACLU of Southern California), Kate Folb (Hollywood, Health & Society), Kim Masters (Puck News, KCRW\u2019s The Business<\/em>), Joel Simon (Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, CUNY), Dr. Mel Herbert (The Pitt<\/em>), Erica Lynn Rosenthal (USC Norman Lear Center), Beth Hoffman (University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health), Josh Arce (Partnership with Native Americans) and Jessica Matten (Rez Ball, Dark Winds, Standing Bear<\/em>), among others.<\/p>\n \n\tA selection of sessions (and their official descriptions) follows.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cImpact + Profit is about community coming together at a time that often feels like chaos,\u201d Nix said. \u201cWe\u2019re bringing creators, funders and changemakers into one space to explore how stories rooted in truth, empathy and shared purpose can help rebuild trust and drive meaningful change.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAdded Debora B. Freitas L\u00f3pez, executive director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs: \u201cWe are proud to partner with the SIE Society to advance the science and practice of impact storytelling. Our shared goal is to ensure that evidence-based communication continues to shape healthier, more equitable societies \u2014 both on-screen and off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n