Empowerment Award 2007
Rosario Dawson—Actress

Stage and film actor, Rosario Dawson, is honored with the Empowerment Award for her participation with organizations dedicated to ending gender, racial and community violence. Dawson’s involvement in philanthropic work includes the founding of Voto Latino (a non-partisan youth driven national organization founded for the purpose of creating a unified voice for Latino youth), and involvement with Lower East Side Girls Club, Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Amnesty International, and Global Darfur Awareness Day. Dawson’s latest role as a rape victim in Descent highlights the struggles and societal pressure for sexual assault victims to remain silent, shedding light on a incredibly important and relevant, yet taboo, topic.

In addition to social activism, Dawson has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most sought after leading ladies with numerous films to her credit, including female leading roles with today’s hottest film actors and directors.

Dawson was last seen in Quentin Tarantino’s horror project Grindhouse, a joint venture consisting of two feature films, one directed by Tarantino and the other by Robert Rodriguez. The films feature an ensemble cast ranging from Kurt Russell to Stacey Ferguson and opened with rave reviews. Death Proof, Quentin Tarantino’s half of the double feature, recently was chosen as in competition film in the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and has continued its success overseas.

Dawson recently completed producing and starring in Descent for director Talia Lugacy. This will be Dawson’s first self produced film, which premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. Dawson will next be seen in the John Madden directed, Killshot, alongside Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane and Johnny Knoxville and she will also be teaming up again with directors Frank Miller and Robert Rodgriguez to reprise her role as Gail in the highly anticipated sequel, Sin City 2. Other film credits include Sin City, Alexander, Shattered Glass, The 25th Hour, Rent, He Got Game, Kids, and Light It Up, among others.

Dawson has been an outspoken voice and dedicated to the empowerment of women and youth worldwide, including participating in numerous V-Day events including V-Day Los Angeles 2003. For all of this activity, Peace Over Violence is happy to present Rosario Dawson with the Humanitarian Award for Empowerment.