9 Powerful Moments from the Innocence Project’s 2025 Gala: A Celebration of Freedom & Justice

Gala host Whoopi Goldberg addressing the audience at the 2025 “Celebration of Freedom & Justice.” (Image: Matthew Adam Photography/Innocence Project)

1. Whoopi Goldberg Opened the Evening With Grace, Humor — and Truth

Returning as host for the first time since 2013, longtime supporter and Innocence Project Ambassador Whoopi Goldberg set the tone with humor and reverence. Speaking directly to the exonerees in the room, she said, “The depth of injustice you have experienced makes us unspeakably angry. But the courage you demonstrate, the resilience that you show, and the grace you embody touches our hearts and enriches our souls. Few can even comprehend it. We are profoundly honoured to share your company tonight.”

2. A Moment of Silence for Marcellus Williams

Executive Director Christina Swarns led the room in a moment of remembrance for Marcellus Williams, who was executed by the state of Missouri last fall despite compelling evidence of his innocence.

“His unconscionable death is seared into our hearts and minds and it compels us to recommit to our mission with renewed determination,” she said.

It was a solemn and profound reminder of the human cost of the system’s injustice. That our work is not only about exoneration — it’s about saving and protecting lives.

3. Cornelius Dupree’s Toast to Justice and the People Who Make It Possible

Cornelius Dupree gave a speech filled with gratitude, humor, and heart. He reflected on his first experience in New York City, attending the Innocence Project gala, and spending time with Innocence Project staff. 

“I’ll never forget seeing the Statue of Liberty. You can imagine what seeing that torch symbolized to a man fresh out of prison,” he recalled.

Mr. Dupree paid tribute to the Innocence Project’s intake department — the first to read his letter and believe in his case.

“I’ve been home for 15 years now, and every time I visit with this family, I make it a priority to see the intake department. They are the ones who read our letters and escalate the cases of those of us wronged by the system,” Mr. Dupree said. “I’m just one man — almost every Innocence Project success story starts in the intake department.”

Marvin Grimm, Jr. and Scott Minton take the stage at the 2025 “Celebration of Freedom & Justice.” (Image: Matthew Adam Photography/Innocence Project)

4. Marvin Grimm and Scott Minton Were Welcomed Home

The newest exonerees celebrated that night were Marvin Grimm Jr., who was exonerated after 45 years in Virginia, and Scott Minton, who was exonerated after 31 years in Tennessee. Together, they served nearly eight decades of wrongful incarceration, and represent the unyielding power of persistence.

The celebration wasn’t confined to one night. In the days leading up to the gala, exonerees — including Mr. Grimm and Mr. Minton — were treated to a week of connection and celebration, which included a New York Yankees game, custom suit fittings by Bindle & Keep, and an annual pizza party at the Innocence Project office. It was equal parts reunion and retreat — a chance to just be together, laugh, and share space.

5. Darren Walker and Laura Burstein Were Honored With the 2025 Champion of Justice Award

The Innocence Project honored Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, for his steadfast commitment to advancing justice and dismantling structural inequality.

“Darren’s leadership at the Ford Foundation, and his prioritization of women and people of color-led organizations — like this one — has transformed the nonprofit sector’s approach to criminal justice and social change,” Ms. Swarns shared during her introduction. “Ford advocated for bail reform, recognizing that laws and policies that link freedom to wealth are coercive, inequitable and drive wrongful convictions via false guilty pleas.”

“We need organizations like the Innocence Project to remind us that justice cannot be rationed,” Mr. Walker said during his acceptance speech. 

Laura Burstein, director of the Capital Litigation Communications Project, was celebrated as a force in the death penalty abolition movement and a key strategist in some of the most high-stakes innocence cases of the last two decades.

“She is the quarterback, the coach, the heartbeat of this movement — strategic beyond measure and deeply, fiercely loving,” said Alicia Maule, Innocence Project’s director of digital engagement. 

In her acceptance speech, Ms. Burstein spoke to the urgency and injustice of the death penalty.

“This is a system that values finality over truth and cruelty over mercy,” she said. “And it is a system that should have no place in our democratic society.”

The tributes to Mr. Walker and Ms. Burstein were powerful reminders of what it means to show up, relentlessly, for the most vulnerable people in our legal system.

6. Savion Glover and Tony Goldwyn Delivered a Showstopping Performance

The evening featured an electric performance by tap legend Savion Glover and longtime Innocence Project supporter and actor Tony Goldwyn. Their collaboration of spoken word and tap was more than entertainment — it was a vibrant expression of rhythm, resistance, and resilience.

.@innocence ambassador and actor Tony Goldwyn performed with tap dancer Savion Glover! pic.twitter.com/YG0lfYcREf

— Innocence Project (@innocence) May 8, 2025

7. A First-Class Surprise

Adding to the night’s celebratory energy, one lucky attendee went home with an unforgettable gift — a pair of first-class tickets to anywhere in the world, courtesy of our generous friends at United Airlines.

8. More Than 40 Exonerees Filled the Stage in a Powerful Closing Tribute

One of the night’s most striking images was a stage filled with 41 exonerees, ranging from newly freed clients to longtime members of the Innocence Project family who collectively spent 941 years wrongfully incarcerated. As their names were called one by one, the room erupted in applause, standing in recognition of their strength.

The Tyreek McDole Group provided a soulful and dynamic jazz backdrop, led by vocalist Tyreek McDole, a rising star in the jazz scene.

“Our freed and exonerated clients will always be our guiding light and north star,” Ms. Swarns said in a closing reflection as the group played its final notes.

9. Bongo Java Espresso Martinis and Tony’s Chocolonely Sweetened the Night

Guests toasted the evening with espresso martinis crafted with a special blend from Bongo Java, Nashville’s oldest coffee company. Earlier this year, Bongo Java partnered with the Innocence Project and the Tennessee Innocence Project to launch a limited-edition coffee blend called “Grounds for Innocence.” This collaboration aims to raise awareness about wrongful convictions and support the fight for justice.

As guests headed out for the night, they grabbed Tony’s Chocolonely bars on their way — a sweet parting gift from the ethical chocolate brand to wrap up an evening full of powerful stories and celebration.

Special thanks to the Celebration of Freedom & Justice’s Freedom and Justice Champions, Sara Naison-Tarajano and Orestes Tarajano, and United Airlines, and the hundreds of supporters who purchased tables and tickets and made donations.