The John Jay College Foundation’s annual Educating for Justice Gala is an event known for honoring leaders and innovators in the pursuit of justice, and this year promises to be no different. What sets this year apart, however, is the striking diversity among the honorees: Lin-Manuel Miranda, the brilliant composer, lyricist, and performer behind the hit musical “Hamilton”; Peter J. Beshar, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Marsh & McLennan and a member of the John Jay College Foundation’s Board of Trustees; and the Tow Foundation.

The Educating for Justice Gala will take place on Monday, May 23, at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. The event will also include a tribute to veteran journalist Rossana Rosado, a trustee of the John Jay College Foundation who was recently named as New York’s Secretary of State by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Miranda, the son of John Jay Foundation trustee Luis Miranda Jr., is a Grammy and Tony Award winner whose command of innovative musical theater as a tool of social justice has proven brilliantly effective. By recasting our nation’s founding fathers as black and Hispanic in “Hamilton,” he illuminates a brand new counter-narrative to American history, opening the door to new voices and ideas to join the national dialogue on issues of race, gender and inequality. Miranda has also partnered with the New York City public school system and the Rockefeller Foundation in a new initiative that will enable 20,000 underprivileged high school students to see the show upon completion of a research project on a historical topic that students then transform into an artistic expression, such as a song or poem to be shared with the cast of “Hamilton.”

Beshar has been a dynamic leader in his role as chair of the John Jay Foundation’s Veterans Affairs Committee, and through the programming and partnerships he has created, the veteran student community at John Jay now has more opportunity than ever to thrive. As a key executive with Marsh & McLennan, Beshar has testified before Congress on the threat of cyber terrorism, advocating for protection of individual privacy while securing against cyber intrusions using a balanced approach that brings together citizens, businesses and policymakers.

The Tow Foundation is a generous supporter of John Jay’s Center on Media, Crime and Justice, as well as the College’s Tow Advocacy Research Fellowship Initiative. Each of these programs has directly benefited underserved communities by supporting youths involved in the criminal justice system.

“Miranda’s passion for the arts as an instrument of social justice, Beshar's advocacy on behalf of veterans and leadership on the challenges of cybercrime, and the Tow Foundation's contributions to youth justice, journalism and education serve as an inspiration to us all,” said John Jay President Jeremy Travis. “We are delighted to honor these fierce advocates for justice.”

Proceeds from the gala support scholarships and programs that help John Jay students achieve their academic and career goals in order to serve the public interest. Click here for more information on the gala.