On Monday Meek Mill, along with six others, was honored at the seventh annual McSilver Awards at New York University for his work in criminal justice reform.
According to a description, the award is given to those who are “Vanguards for Social Justice who are prominent in their fields and unafraid to use their platforms to help create a more equitable and just world.”
Earlier this year, Mill joined people like Jay-Z, CNN’s Van Jones and others to announce the Reform Alliance, an organization that focuses on criminal justice reform and the laws surrounding parole and probation.
The Reform Alliance has a goal of getting one million people off parole or probation over the next five years.
The Philly rapper — who’s been on probation since 2008 because of gun and drug charges — issued a statement about the McSilver Award and explained why he’s gotten so involved in criminal justice reform.
“I’m honored by this recognition,” wrote Mill in a statement. “When I was released from prison last year, I knew I had a responsibility to use my voice to speak up for the voiceless and fight for criminal justice reform. Change will take time, but me and my team at the Reform Alliance are committed to making a real difference and fixing a broken justice system.”
The “R.I.C.O.” rapper also spoke during the ceremony about his time behind bars and having past run-ins with law enforcement.
“I’ve been beat by police, I’ve been locked in penitentiaries, I’ve been on probation much of my life” he explained. “I’ve never seen much justice, and so I wanted to take giants in every field that I could think of and make justice in this country.”
Since Mill was released from prison in April of last year for probation violation and announced the Reform Alliance, he’s been honored numerous times.
For example, March 14 was declared Meek Mill Day in his hometown of Philadelphia, and he was also given his own day in other places like Atlanta, Houston, as well as Connecticut.
