(Nov. 4, 2026) – Media Contact: John Henry, jhenry@childrensdefense.org, CDF Media Relations Manager, 708-646-7679
WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Thursday, TV personality Dr. Contessa Metcalfe and award-winning musician Geoffrey Golden will join Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) in Washington, D.C., for A National Celebration of Joy. The organization’s signature fundraising event honors the people, partnerships, and possibilities driving its work for children and youth.
Metcalfe, an Atlanta resident and star of Bravo TV’s Married to Medicine, will host the gala at the historic Howard Theatre, while Golden, a Charlotte resident, gospel artist, and winner of BET Television’s music competition Sunday Best, will perform. The evening will culminate in the presentation of the Marian Wright Edelman Advocate for Joy Awards, which will honor three individuals and institutions from across the nation who are driving policy change, building community power, and strengthening programs to improve the lives of children and youth.
What: A National Celebration of Joy
When: Thursday, November 5, 2026 | Dinner and Program – 7:00 p.m.
Where: The Historic Howard Theatre | 620 T Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Who: Liz & Don Thompson, Casey Family Programs, MN Lt. Governor & Senator-elect Peggy Flanagan, Dr. Starsky Wilson
The Marian Wright Edelman Advocate for Joy Award, renamed for CDF’s Founder and President Emerita, will be awarded to Chicago philanthropists Liz and Don Thompson, Seattle-based Casey Family Programs, and Minnesota Lieutenant Governor & Senator-elect Peggy Flanagan.
- Liz & Don Thompson: Together, the Chicago couple co-founded The CAFE Group, a national nonprofit supporting education leaders through funding, networks, and leadership development, and Cleveland Avenue LLC, a global venture capital firm that invests in lifestyle consumer brands and technology companies that positively disrupt large and growing markets.
- Casey Family Programs: The Seattle-based organization isAmerica’s largest operating foundation focused on safely reducing the need for foster care while improving the safety and well-being of children.
- MN Lt. Gov. and Senator-elect Peggy Flanagan: Flanagan will be the first Native American woman elected to the United States Senate. She also once served as the executive director of Children’s Defense Fund’s Minnesota office, leading statewide fights to establish paid family and medical leave and raise the minimum wage in Minnesota during her time with the organization. Being honored by CDF Action, she now passionately works to increase family incomes, improve children’s outcomes, and improve early childhood programs in Minnesota.
CDF will also award Ximena Estefania Salazar Cantu, 17, of Brownsville, Texas, its 2026 Samuel Halperin Youth Public Service Award for her commitment to creating equitable opportunities for others through her work with the workforce development organization YouthBuild Brownsville. Ximena, who immigrated to the United States as a teenager, credits YouthBuild Brownsville for not only helping her to discover a career path, but also a community that believed in her potential. The Samuel Halperin Youth Public Service Award was launched by the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) in 2015 to honor its founder, Samuel Halperin, and his deep commitment to young people impacted by systemic inequities.