Jahmal Cole has been confirmed as the recipient of the inaugural ISWAI Social Impact Award 2025.

The Indian Social Workers Association of Illinois (ISWAI) is proud to announce that Jahmal

Cole has been confirmed as the recipient of the inaugural ISWAI Social Impact Award

2025.

Jahmal Cole is a distinguished Chicago-based activist, author, and the Founder and CEO of

My Block My Hood My City (M3), a transformative social impact organization established in

2013. Through his visionary leadership, Mr. Cole has consistently addressed the root causes

of violence—poverty, isolation, and lack of opportunity—by expanding educational exposure

for youth and fostering community-driven solutions that empower residents across Chicago.

His contributions have earned widespread recognition, including multiple honors as

Chicago Reader Activist of the Year, Chicago Magazine’s Chicagoan of the Year, Chicago

Defender Men of Excellence Honoree, and the American Red Cross Community Impact Hero

Award. His life and work are also chronicled in the acclaimed documentary A Tiny Ripple of

Hope.

Mr. Cole holds two honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees—from Adler University for

his philanthropic leadership and from DePaul University for his lifelong dedication to serving

Chicago’s youth and communities. Most recently, in one of his final acts in office, President

Joseph R. Biden Jr. awarded him the President’s Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement

Award, recognizing his enduring commitment to civic engagement and community

empowerment.

The Award will be presented on February 6th during the ISWAI Annual Gala. Through this

award, ISWAI honors Jahmal Cole’s extraordinary leadership, compassion, and unwavering

dedication to social justice, reflecting the transformative power of community-centered

social action and ISWAI’s mission to advance equity, dignity, and collective well-being.