June 19, 2015

Report from Jennifer Meeropol:  June 19, 2015

Today is the 62^nd anniversary of my grandparents’ execution. But since the start of the year I’ve been more focused on the realization that were she still living, my grandmother would turn 100 this fall! Many of you know the nightmare my father and uncle experienced after their parents’ arrest, but this approaching milestone has me thinking about the more intangible consequences of the loss of my grandparents and so many others who resisted repression and are still resisting today.

Ethel and Julius never got the chance to see their sons fall in love, marry, and revel in children and grandchildren of their own. My sister, cousins and I lost the opportunity to ask our grandmother what it was like to grow up in poverty in New York City’s Lower East Side as a Jewish girl who loved singing and acting. And we were robbed of the chance to see how her beliefs evolved as the world changed.

On the anniversary of my grandparents’ executions, I mourn not just their loss, but the infinite possibilities which died with them. But I take comfort in the knowledge that I am not alone. So many of you supported my grandparents then and stand with current activists now!  From Ferguson to New York City to Baltimore, we are marching not just in outrage over too many people of color killed by cops, but also to mark the loss of who they might have been and what they might have accomplished.

With your help, the RFC is making a real difference in the lives of children of those who resist despite reprisals. We just awarded almost $190,000 in grants to provide the critical assistance these kids deserve, but we know we will receive even more requests this fall. We can’t meet this need without your support! 90% of what you give will be awarded this year.

Here are two examples of recent RFC grants:

Caden, Aisha, and Kyara were five, nine, and 15 when their mom was arrested. A leader in the right of return movement in New Orleans, their mother organized to demand the opportunity for residents to come back to their homes post-Katrina. In retaliation, she was harassed, arrested and eventually convicted on false assault. The judge, who denigrated activists from the bench during the trial, demanded that she begin serving her four-year sentence on the day of her conviction, leaving the shattered children to struggle without her. A $2000 Attica Prison Visit grant will allow these kids, now living with their grandmother, to visit their incarcerated mom for the first time in months.

Five-year-old Noah’s parents are environmental activists who operate a small non-profit that works to protect and restore a local river basin in their southern community. His father and older brother have been harassed and faced death threats from local oil and gas company employees because of their work monitoring and confronting the companies' illegal pollution and development activities. Someone poisoned the family’s dog, and Noah’s dad has faced warnings of sabotage against his business. An RFC grant of $2000 will help Noah attend school in a safe environment, away from those who threatened his family.