This fall we awarded 78 grants totaling almost $180,000. Nine of these awards were to new families. This brings our granting total for 2011 to $369,570, an increase of almost $10,000 over 2010. We are grateful to our entire community for their steadfast support, which has allowed us to increase our granting and provide much needed aid to so many new beneficiaries.
NEW GRANTS
1. Clinton E. Jencks Memorial Fund.* $2000 for after-school activities and recreational programs for the seven-year-old son whose father — a trade unionist, co-founder of an immigrants’ rights advocacy collective and an outspoken critic of the Afghanistan and Iraq occupations — was arrested on politically motivated charges. FL
2. Herman Warsh Memorial Fund.* $2000 for an Attica Prison Visit grant** to enable the granddaughter of imprisoned, radical attorney Lynne Stewart to visit Lynne and introduce her to her first great-grandchild, born after Lynne’s imprisonment. (Photo, right.) NY
(*See www.rfc.org/namedfunds to learn more.)
(**Attica Fund Prison Visit grants enable the children and grandchildren of political prisoners to visit their jailed loved ones.)
3. Government Tries to Gas Family. $2738 for a computer, fitness classes and a Carry It Forward (CIF) award* for the nine and 10-year-old daughters and 21-year-old son whose activist father was part of a coalition demanding accountability for the disappearance of 350 Congolese refugees. In retaliation, soldiers invaded their home and assaulted the mother and children. After the family escaped an attempt to gas their home, they fled to the U.S. and were granted asylum. IL
(*CIF awards of $600 are given to 18 to 24-year-olds to help pay for the cost associated with college or similar programs designed to prepare them for adult life.)
4. 65 Years in Prison for Peace Efforts. $2000 for an Attica grant to allow three children, ages 11 to 24, to visit their father, who was convicted of providing material support to terrorist organizations for aiding groups working for peace in the Middle East. TX
5. Police Raid Traumatizes Son. $2000 for therapy for the 11-year-old son who has nightmares about the police raid on his home. Officers pointed guns at him, took his parents to prison and forced him into foster care because his father was working to build black-brown unity in a manner that challenged the authority of the Los Angeles Police Department. CA
6. Father Testifies Despite Torture, Threats. $1991 for music and sports lessons for the 11-year-old daughter whose father survived a year in a concentration camp in Bosnia. After his release, he agreed to testify against his tormentors despite receiving numerous death threats. IL
7. Standing Up to the Klan. $1849 for a computer and educational support for the 18-year-old girl whose grandmother, her legal guardian, faced harassment and death threats for her efforts to desegregate a federal housing project in Texas. OR
8. Fighting for the DREAM Act. $1600 for a Development grant* and CIF award for the 24-year-old activist youth who faced threats to her and her family because of her fight for immigrants’ rights. IL
(*Development grants of up to $1000 are given to targeted activist youth to further their education, support their emotional needs or develop their organizing skills.)
9. Father Jailed, Tortured. $1470 for art and circus classes and a CIF award for the two daughters, ages nine and 20, whose father was a leader in the fight against the repressive dictatorship in their West African home country. He was jailed, tortured and received death threats before bringing his daughters to the U.S. IL
RENEWALS
10-16. Parents Fight for Better Environment, Racial Equality. $23,800 for educational programs for 17 children, ages two to 14, from seven families. Several parents were beaten and arrested while marching against environmental racism, others were attacked and/or imprisoned for their community organizing work. CA, GA, NY
17-21. Five Families Working for Peace. $11,497 for cultural programs for nine children, ages six to 19. Parents and teenaged children have engaged in peaceful anti-war protests and many of the parents have been imprisoned for civil disobedience. ME, NJ, NY, VA
22. Son of Political Prisoner Targeted. $7500 for school tuition for the five children, ages six to 16, whose father, himself the son of a political prisoner, was fired for giving a lecture supporting political prisoners. GA
23. Daughters Assaulted. $6600 for school tuition and a CIF award for the four children, ages five to 19, whose mother, an anti-female genital mutilation activist, had to flee Guinea with her children after two of her daughters were attacked in retaliation for her work. NY
24. Activist Mother Forced to Find Another Job. $5910 for music and dance lessons, sports programs and after-school care for the four children, ages six to 16, whose mother’s support for an arrested Muslim caused her boss to pressure her to find a job where she’d “feel more at home.” GA
25-26. Muslim Anti-War Activists Jailed. $5675 for school tuition for five children, ages six to 18, from two families. Their fathers were convicted of terrorist-related money laundering after an FBI sting targeted them for their public anti-war activities and support for a local Mosque. NY
27. Father Charged for Protesting with his Children. $5140 for dance lessons, art and photography supplies and educational support for six children, ages six to 17, whose father was arrested at a peaceful demonstration with his kids. NC
28. Family Threatened by KKK. $4718 for school tuition, gymnastics and orthodontia for five children, ages seven to 16, of an activist who received death threats for her efforts to desegregate a public housing complex. OR
29. Journalist Harassed. $4500 for educational programs for the three children, ages three to nine, whose father, an independent, activist reporter and journalism student, was questioned by the FBI and subpoenaed after reporting on police brutality and racial profiling at protests on his college campus. TX
30. Anti-Racist Activism Costs Family. $4000 for educational support for the five and seven-year-old daughters whose mother was targeted for advocating for minority graduate students’ rights. As a result, she lost her job teaching at the university and cannot find full-time employment in her field. GA
31. Programs for Pacifist’s Children. $3600 for Aikido, gymnastics lessons and counseling for the 13-year-old daughter and 15 and 18-year-old sons whose father faced fines and jail time for his anti-missile shield action. OK
32. Iraqi Refugee Children. $3000 for educational support and piano lessons for the 13-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son whose mother worked to assist civilians in Baghdad after the 2003 U.S. invasion. She was kidnapped and beaten but escaped to Syria, where she continued her community organizing efforts until government officials detained her. IL
33. Father Disappeared, Mother and Daughter Flee. $3000 for an educational enrichment program for the 16-year-old daughter of an activist father “disappeared” during the Guatemalan civil war for his anti-military regime, pro-student efforts. IL
34. Iraq War Resister. $3000 for a choir trip for the 16-year-old twin daughters of a formerly incarcerated conscientious objector. CA
35. Second Generation Activist Father. $3000 for cultural programs and an Attica grant for the 10-year-old daughter whose father, himself the son of an African American political prisoner, has been harassed by police for years, both because of his father and for his own efforts on behalf of political prisoners and other human rights issues. PA
36. Vieques Activist. $2950 for educational support for the 15-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter of a formerly incarcerated Vieques activist. PR
37. Extracurricular Programs for Sons. $2930 for sports, gymnastics and music lessons for the three sons, ages eight, 10 and 15, whose mother was threatened with prison for trying to address the needs of low-income families. TX
38. Mayor Targets Mother. $2200 for music lessons for the nine-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter whose mother, an anti-environmental racism activist, was harassed for requesting to know a city council member’s position on locating a soil processing plant in her low-income, predominantly minority community. PA
39. Family Forced to Flee. $2000 for educational support for the 15-year-old daughter whose father, a Guatemalan human rights activist, was forced to leave their country after receiving death threats. IL
40. Children’s Home Raided. $2000 for music lessons and a school trip for the 13 and 15-year-old daughters whose father was harassed by the police for his role in organizing demonstrations against corporations that produce genetically modified foods. MN
41. Son of COINTELPRO Target Harassed. $2000 for the twin 13-year-old daughters of a community activist targeted for his organizing efforts on behalf of students, the homeless, and low-income communities. GA
42. Mother Threatened with Loss of Son. $2000 for childcare and educational support for the three-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son whose mother, a GLBT community activist, was threatened by the state with the removal of her son because of her activism. OR
43. Sisters Persevere Despite Attacks. $2000 for cultural programs and educational support for the 17-year-old girl whose sister (who is her legal guardian and is a recipient of an RFC targeted activist youth grant), endured a torrent of threats and hate mail for publicly asserting her rights while proclaiming her undocumented status. CA
44. Father Fired for Reporting the Truth. $1900 for sports programs for the 12-year-old son whose father, an independent journalist, was fired and blacklisted for covering controversial topics. MN
45-46. Parents Fight to Stop Grand Jury Witch Hunts. $1643 for language, dance and martial arts lessons for the six and seven-year-old daughters from two families. The parents, members of peace and international solidarity groups, are Grand Jury resisters. IL, MN
47. Two Generations Organize. $1624 for a computer for the 11-year-old daughter whose mother and grandmother were arrested and tortured for protesting students’ human rights violations in their North African home country, and ultimately fled to the U.S. IL
48. Mother Assaulted, Arrested. $1500 for educational support for the 15-year-old son whose mother, an animal rights activist, suffered numerous beatings, arrests, and a miscarriage at the hands of the police. PA
49. Mother Disabled by Beating. $1500 for computer equipment for the 13-year-old daughter whose mother was attacked during a Republican National Convention. WA
50. Educational Support for Daughter. $1500 for school tuition for the 16-year-old daughter whose father was jailed for fighting for Puerto Rican independence. PR
51. Mother Fights to End Torture. $1500 for piano lessons and ice skating classes for the seven-year-old daughter whose mother provided advocacy and assistance to women whose rights had been violated in her African home country. She was detained and arrested before seeking refuge in the U.S. IL
52-53. Children of Imprisoned Native American Environmental Activist. $1500 for music, yoga and drama classes for the nine-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son whose father served an eight-month sentence for destroying traps set for mountain lions. MI
54. Loses Job, Keeps Fighting for Others. $1500 for educational support for the 17-year-old daughter whose mother, the daughter of a former Black Panther political prisoner, works with African American youth to engage them around current issues. She also organizes for political prisoners despite being fired because of these efforts. GA
55. Son of Exiled COINTELPRO Target. $1500 for a computer for the 18-year-old son whose father was forced to flee the country. AL
56. Music Lessons for Sons. $1496 for music lessons for the 12 and 14-year-old sons of a formerly incarcerated prisoners’ rights activist. VT
57. Grief Counseling for Son. A special $1400 grant for therapy for the 23-year-old son whose mother, a COINTELPRO target, was killed in a car accident in 2010. GA
58. Parents Face Threat of Deadly Force. $1222 for music lessons for the 12-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter whose parents have participated in protests at an Air Force base near their home despite a declaration from officials allowing the use of deadly force against protestors. CA
59. Five Years for Demonstrating. $1220 for school tuition and cultural programs for the 12-year-old daughter whose father was imprisoned for protesting the Navy’s use of Vieques as a bombing range. PR
60. Labor Activist Fired. $1200 for a computer for the 18-year-old son whose mother educated her co-workers about their union rights. Management retaliated against her for leading the battle to obtain missing benefits by increasing her case load and eventually firing her. MA
61. Repeatedly Imprisoned Vieques Activist. $1000 for school tuition for the 16-year-old son of a leader of the struggle to free Vieques. PR
62. Father Fought for Indigenous Rights. $1000 for an assistance animal for the 14-year-old son of a deceased Native American prisoners’ rights activist. NM
63. Disabled by Police Attack. $840 for educational support for the 18-year-old son of medical marijuana activists. The parents have both been imprisoned and the dad suffered permanent injury from police violence during an arrest. OR
64. Puerto Rican Environmental Hero Jailed. $720 for educational support and art classes for the 17-year-old son of an environmental activist repeatedly incarcerated and fined for his non-violent actions to force the Navy out of Vieques. PR
65. Anti-Globalization Political Prisoner. $650 for sports equipment for the 11-year-old daughter of a formerly incarcerated anti-globalization political prisoner released after spending over seven years in prison. OR
CIF AWARDS
66-75. CIF Awards. $6000 for 10 beneficiaries, ages 18 to 24, from 10 families. CA, CT, IL, MA, MO, NJ, NY, OH, PR
ATTICA PRISON VISIT PROGRAM GRANTS
76-78. Attica Awards. $6000 for six beneficiaries, ages 2 to 20, to visit incarcerated loved ones. CA, KS, PA