As Meek Mill continues his work in the community and the criminal justice system with the REFORM Alliance, the Philly native was honored with the vanguard for social justice award at New York University’s McSilver Institute on Monday (June 10).

“Seeing young men like myself in the criminal system, would you say there’s no justice in the system? I’ve never seen this side of justice,” Mill stated during his acceptance speech in video footage captured by Didier Morais. Mill went on to admit that he felt inspire to give back after seeing the support he received from the community while imprisoned. “I wanted to do something about it when I got the support from my people and people standing for me at this last situation.”

Eariler in June, Mill was granted an appellate hearing with the Pennsylvania Superior Court scheduled for July 16. Mill’s legal team will look to overturn his conviction, which has been weighing him down since being arrested originally in 2007. Source: Billboard