On May 7th, we reimagined what freedom means—together. New Breath Foundation hosted Collective Liberation 2026: Celebrating Leaders Behind the Movement.
This year marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence promised life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. At New Breath Foundation, we’re celebrating by honoring the ongoing work to make those promises real for everyone.
Our grantees—led by Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities—are writing the next chapter of America’s story through Racial Solidarity, Collective Learning, and Collective Healing. They’re creating spaces and building bridges across cultures. They’re proving that real safety comes through healing and restoration, not punishment. They’re showing us that true freedom isn’t won alone—it’s built together.
YKSP Co-Director, Audee Kochiyama-Holman was awarded New Breath Foundation’s Movement Elder Award, which recognizes, thanks, and highlights those with decades of work in overlapping grassroots social justice movements, such as criminal legal reform, civil rights, racial justice, Asian American activism, LGBTQ, and more.
“New Breath Foundation kicked off Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May the way it most values – bringing its treasured community together. Nearly 100 people filled the space for Collective Liberation: Celebrating the Leaders Behind the Movement, NBF’s annual awards ceremony and fundraiser. The joy that filled the space was palpable: elders, philanthropists, organizers, directly impacted community members, and longtime supporters arrived from across the Bay Area and beyond for a special night where diverse backgrounds and multiple generations celebrated side by side. Read on to relive this evening of collective joy and celebration.
It was a gathering grounded in the reality of hard times, yet lifted by the undeniable truth that this community remains committed to each other and the vision of collective liberation.”
