Michael Patrick MacDonald, Irish-American author and activist
Michael Patrick MacDonald (born March 9, 1966) is an Irish-American activist against crime and violence and author of his memoir, All Souls: A Family Story From Southie. He helped to start Boston's gun-buyback program, and founded the South Boston Vigil group, which works with survivor families and young people in Boston's anti-violence movement.
He was the recipient of the 1999 Daily Point of Light Award, which honors those who connect Americans through community service. Michael has been awarded an Anne Cox Chambers Fellowship at the MacDowell Colony, a Bellagio Center Fellowship through the Rockefeller Foundation, and residencies at Blue Mountain Center and Djerassi Artists Residency Program. He received the Courage of Conscience Award from the Peace Abbey for his courage and committed efforts to stem the tide of inner city violence through the establishment of the gun-buyback program in Boston.
He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York and devotes all of his time to writing and public speaking on topics ranging from "Race and Class in America" to "Trauma, Healing, and Social Change." MacDonald is Writer in Residence at Northeastern University in Boston.