The recipient of the BTG award for 2005 was Geoffrey Canada. Geoffrey Canada, President and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone, is the acclaimed author of “Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun: a Personal History of Violence in America.” His second book, “Reaching Up for Manhood,” was published in January, 1998. Canada has received numerous awards, including the prestigious McGraw Prize for Education and the first Heinz Award for the Human Condition in recognition of his selfless determination to make the lives of inner-city children safer and saner.Raised in the South Bronx, Canada has dedicated his life to helping children from similar circumstances secure educational and economic opportunities. His many efforts include the Harlem Children’s Zone’s Beacon Schools, the Harlem Peacemakers Program, the Community Pride Initiative, and, most recently, the Harlem Children’s Zone Project. In 1983, he founded the Chang Moo Kwan Martial Arts School, which has become a nationally recognized model for violence prevention. Canada is also the East Coast regional coordinator for the Black Community Crusade for Children — a nationwide effort organized by Marian Wright Edelman and the Children's Defense Fund.
