| "Few will have the greatness to bend history itself;
but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation." --Robert F. Kennedy |
| The
Gleitsman Foundation encourages individual commitment and leadership by
recognizing the exceptional achievement of those who have initiated
positive social change. We seek those individuals whose vision and
courage inspire others to join with them in confronting and challenging
injustice.
As we begin our search for nominees for the 2008 Citizen Activist Award, we invite you to advise us of those individuals whose efforts you feel should be recognized.
The 2008 Citizen Activist Award will honor those who have struggled to correct social injustice in the United States (international activists are the focus of our award in alternate years). The honorees will share $100,000 and each will receive a specially commissioned sculpture designed by Maya Lin, creator of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC. The award is not presented posthumously, nor is it granted to groups or organizations.
Please complete this nomination form and forward it with supporting materials to us postmarked not later than November 2, 2008. The Honorees for the 2008 Citizen Activist Award will be announced in the spring of 2008.
We thank you for helping us to reinforce the timeless message that one lone individual can not only inspire profound change, but can motivate others to make a positive difference as well. And in the above quoted words of Robert Kennedy, the sum of those individual acts will, hopefully, help to build a better life for all of us. |
| Citizen Activist Award Honorees |
|---|
| 1990
- SOPHIA BRACY HARRIS, co-founder of the Federation of Child Care
Centers of Alabama, has sought for three decades to combat diminishing
federal and state funds to aid low-income black families.
DEBORAH C. McKEITHAN, despite severe personal disabilities, created four national organizations to act as support networks for the disabled.
1991 - KAREN NUSSBAUM, co-founder of 9 to 5, The National Association of Working Women, a non-profit group devoted to securing for female employees the same pay, benefits and respect earned by their male counterparts.
ANN WILSON, Chairperson of the Board of Commissioners, Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, waged a variety of campaigns on behalf of public housing residents city-wide.
1992 - LOUIS CLARK, as Executive Director, has made the Government Accountability Project (GAP) one of the nation?s most effective organizations aiding employees willing to report abuse or negligence in the work-place.
WILLIAM WASSMUTH, founded The Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment, now recognized as the leading crusader for human rights and those opposed to racial hatred in the northwest.
1994 - WENDY KOPP, visionary founder of Teach For America, a national corps of college graduates from all academic majors who commit a minimum of two years to teach in under-resourced urban and rural public schools.
RALPH NADER, a man whose name has become virtually synonymous with citizen activism, has dedicated a lifetime to issues of public information, health and safety.
1996 - GERALDINE JENSEN, founded the Association for Children for the Enforcement of Support, now the nation's largest child support advocacy agency.
TANYA TULL, founded Beyond Shelter and has become a champion for homeless families by combatting chronic poverty and welfare dependence, while promoting systemic change.
1998 - ANTI-TOBACCO ADVOCATES: Dr. Alan Blum, Stanton Glantz, Vice President Al Gore, Washington Attorney General Christine Gregoire, Dr. C. Everett Koop, Janet Carol Mangini, Congressman Henry Waxman, Jeffrey Wigand, Merrell Williams, and Patricia Young.
2000 - DR. JACK KEVORKIAN, a pioneer in end-of-life issues, has challenged us to examine existing laws that allow for the prosecution of doctors who respond to the pleas of terminally-ill patients for death with dignity.
BRYAN STEVENSON, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, is a leading opponent of the death penalty, confronting the bias against the poor and people of color in the criminal justice system.
2002 - MIKE FARRELL, a fervent believer in the intrinsic value of each human life, has, in various roles, struggled to protect others, particularly those with little voice of their own.
MIMI SILBERT, the founder and spirit of the Delancey Street Foundation, the nation's leading self-help residential center for substance abusers, prostitutes and other ex-convicts.
2004 - K-12 PUBLIC EDUCATION ACTIVISTS: Christopher Barbic, Yvonne Chan, Michael Feinberg & David Levin, Bertha Lewis, Michelle Rhee, Mark Rosenbaum, J.B.Schramm, Agnes Stevens, Margot Stern Strom and Kevin Sved & Johnathan Williams.
2006 - RON GRZYWINSKI and MARY HOUGHTON, co-founders of ShoreBank, which has transformed under-served urban neighborhoods across the country into vibrant communities.
JULIE STEWART, founder of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, has enabled judges to sentence first-time, low-level, non-violent drug defendants to appropriate prison terms.
GLORIA STEINEM, Citizen Activist Extraordinaire |
THE CITIZEN ACTIVIST AWARD
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