This spring the RFC made 81 grants totaling $200,000; 7 are new awards and 74 are renewals. Thanks to our supporters’ generosity, in 2008 the RFC expects to award more than $400,000 for the third year in a row.

New Grants

1. Ozzy Klate Memorial Fund Award*. $2500 special travel grant for the 22-year-old daughter whose activist father was harassed and forced to leave his nursing job for attempting to organize his co-workers. The funds will allow the daughter, herself an activist involved in political street theatre, to study with the Theatre of the Oppressed in Brazil. NY

(Go to “Named Funds” to find out more.)

2. Father Attacked for Protesting with his Children. $4500 for educational support and cultural programs and a Carry it Forward (CIF) award** for five children, aged seven to 19, whose activist parents founded a Catholic Worker House. The father faced charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for bringing his children with him to peaceful protests. NC

(**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.)

3. Mother Convicted in Green Scare Case. $3000 for childcare and travel expenses for the three-year-old daughter whose environmental activist mother was charged with arson under new “domestic terrorism” legislation which allows prosecutors to seek lengthy sentences for property crimes in which no one was injured. CA

4. Son to Camp. $3000 for summer camp for the twelve-year-old son whose father belonged to a faith-based peace movement accused by a prosecutor of being a terrorist-sympathizing organization. The father was jailed for 45 days for attempting to hand-deliver a letter to the president of a major war contractor. CT

5. Grandmother Subpoenaed. $1400 for the seven-year-old boy who lives with his grandmother, a founding member of a Black Panther chapter, who helped establish and run a health clinic. She was harassed and threatened for her refusal to reveal information on radical activists from clinic files. OR

6. Another Environmental Activist Targeted. $1000 for the 17-year-old daughter whose mother has been involved in environmental, anti-war and social justice causes for over twenty years. In addition to surveillance and searches of their home during the last few years, the mother was arrested and jailed in 2008. OH

7. Grandfather Tortured, Re-arrested. A CIF award for the 19-year-old granddaughter of a former Black Panther, tortured into confessing to killing a police officer in 1971 and recently re-arrested for the murder based on the false confession. AZ

Renewals

8. George Ziefert Fund Award*. $1500 for educational support for the 17-year-old granddaughter of a former Puerto Rican political prisoner. PR

(Go to “Named Funds” to find out more.)

9-13. Parents Fight for Better Environment, Racial Equality. $13,800 for a range of programs for 10 children, aged three to 10, from five families. Three mothers and a father were beaten and arrested while marching against environmental racism, others were attacked and/or imprisoned for their community organizing work. GA

14-21. Children and Parents Working Together for Peace. $13,673 for cultural and educational programs for 13 children, aged five to 19, from eight families who are members of several radical pacifist communities. 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

22-23. Anti-War Muslims Targeted. $11,600 for school tuition and an Attica award** for the nine children, aged two to 14, from two families, whose fathers were convicted after an FBI sting targeting them for their public anti-war activities. NY.

(**Attica Fund Prison Visit awards enable the children and grandchildren of political prisoners to visit their jailed loved ones.)

24-28. Children of Political Prisoners. $9167 for tutoring, summer camp, childcare, educational support, dance and music lessons for nine children and grandchildren, aged four to 15, of an African American community, whose parents and grandparents are incarcerated. PA

29. Family Threatened by KKK. $7898 for school tuition, orthodontia and childcare for six children, aged three to 14, whose activist mother received death threats from the Klan for her efforts to desegregate a public housing complex. OR

30. Daughters Assaulted. $7200 for educational support for the four daughters, aged six to 15, whose mother, an anti-female genital mutilation activist, was forced to flee Guinea with her children after two were attacked in retaliation for her work. NY

31. Sons Flee with Mother. $7000 for summer camp, childcare, arts and sports programs for four sons, aged four to 16, whose mother was threatened with prison for trying to address the needs of low income families. TX

32. Activist Mother Forced from Job. $6000 for childcare and school tuition for the two-year-old son and four, six and 13-year-old daughters whose mother’s support for an arrested Muslim caused her boss to pressure her to leave her job. GA

33. Two Generations of Activists. $5000 for school tuition for the four daughters, aged nine to 18, and the four-year-old son whose father, himself the son of a political prisoner, was fired for giving a lecture supporting political prisoners. GA

34. Father Fights for Vieques. $4400 for educational travel and cultural programs for the 11-year-old son and 13 and 17-year-old daughters of a formerly incarcerated Vieques activist. PR

35. Mother Beaten and Pepper-Sprayed. $4000 for school tuition for the seven-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter whose mother, an African American community organizer, was targeted by the local police. GA

36. Activist Son of COINTELPRO Targets Harassed. $4000 for educational support for the twin nine-year-old daughters of a second-generation organizer targeted for his efforts on behalf of students and low income communities. GA

37. Children, Mother Fled War Horrors. $3600 for cultural programs for the 13-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son, and a CIF award for the 23-year-old daughter whose mother fled after receiving death threats for organizing against mass rape in Congolese warfare. IL

38. Puerto Rican Environmental Hero Attacked. $3583 for educational support and tutoring for the 13-year-old son and 17-year-old daughter of an activist repeatedly incarcerated for his non-violent actions to force the Navy out of Vieques. PR

39. Anti-War Father Freed. $3400 for dance and swimming lessons for the 13-year-old twin daughters of a formerly incarcerated conscientious objector. CA

40. Grandparents Still Behind Bars. $3300 for an Attica award and school tuition for the eight-year-old granddaughter of two Puerto Rican political prisoners. FL

41. Jailers Threaten to Burn Children. $3000 for summer camp and language programs for the eight-year-old son and 15-year old daughter of a refugee women’s rights activist who was tortured and whose children were threatened by her Iranian jailers. VA

42. Pacifist Father Protested Missile Shield. $3000 for gymnastics lessons and cultural programs for the nine and 15-year-old daughters and 12-year-old son whose father faced fines and jail for his non-violent action. OK

43. Children’s Home Razed. $3000 for cultural programs for the 13 and 15-year-old daughters and 17-year-old son whose mother, a targeted Oneida activist, had her home destroyed because of her work against the Bureau of Indian Affairs-appointed leader of their nation. NY

44. Iraq War Resister. $2950 for educational support for the four and five-year-old daughters and 11 and 14-year-old sons whose father was jailed for refusing to return to Iraq. CO

45-46. Children of Imprisoned Native American Activist. $2900 for dance classes, summer camp, sports programs and travel to cultural ceremonies for the five-year-old daughter and six-year-old son whose father is serving time for organizing for environmental and animal rights. AZ

47. Mother Took on the Courts. $2600 for educational support and cultural programs for the 16-year-old son and a CIF award for the 18-year-old daughter whose mother was targeted for organizing against the revictimization of domestic violence survivors by the court system. MA

48. Children of Torture Survivors. $2500 for a support group for 20 youth, aged three to 18, whose activist parents are survivors of torture in their home countries. PA

49. Journalist Father Harassed. $2400 for cultural and educational programs and childcare for the three-year-old daughter and six-year-old son whose father was intimidated by the FBI after reporting on racial profiling at protests surrounding Colin Powell’s visit to his college in 2005. CA

50. Father Framed. $2400 for karate lessons for the 12-year-old son and art lessons and a computer for college for the 18-year-old daughter whose father organized against police brutality and served two years in prison on trumped-up charges. AZ

51. Father Was Jailed. $2100 for school tuition for the 12-year-old daughter and a CIF award for the 18-year-old son whose father is a former Puerto Rican political prisoner. PR

52. Grandfather Targeted by COINTELPRO. $2100 for sports programs and an Attica award for the seven-year-old girl whose grandfather is an African American political prisoner. PA

53. Granddaughter of COINTELPRO target. $2000 for community service trips for the 16-year-old granddaughter of an African American political prisoner. NY

54. Five Years for Demonstrating. $2000 for school tuition for the nine-year-old daughter whose father spent five years in jail for protesting the Navy’s use of Vieques as a bombing range. PR

55. Iraq Refusenik Father. $2000 for school tuition for the daughter, now eight, whose father was jailed for a year for refusing to fight in Iraq. FL

56. Children to Camp. $1850 for summer camp and swimming lessons for the nine and 11-year-old sons of a formerly incarcerated prisoners’ rights activist. VT

57. Son of Exiled COINTELPRO Target. $1820 for summer camp and tutoring for the 15-year-old son whose father was forced to flee the country. AL

58. Repeatedly Imprisoned Activist. $1800 for educational support for the 13-year-old son of a leader of the struggle to free Vieques. PR

59. GLBT Leader Attacked. $1800 for school tuition for the 17-year-old granddaughter of the founder of a grassroots organization who has been attacked for advocating for civil rights for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community. OR

60. Father Disappeared, Mother and Daughter Flee. $1800 for a summer enrichment program for the 12-year-old daughter of an activist father "disappeared" during the Guatemalan civil war. IL

61. Mother Nearly Blinded. $1800 for educational support for the nine-year-old daughter whose mother was attacked while protesting during the 2000 Republican National Convention. WA

62. More Children to Camp. $1800 for nature camp for the 10 and 11-year-old daughters whose father was harassed by the police for his role in organizing demonstrations against corporations that produce genetically modified foods. MN

63. Father Tortured, Family Flees. $1800 for school tuition for the 15-year-old daughter whose father, a democracy activist, was detained and tortured in Cameroon. OH

64. Child Shot. $1700 for educational support for a 17-year-old son whose mother is an anti-racist and women's rights activist. One of her children was shot by white supremacists after she publically spoke out against racism. OR

65. Mother Was Jailed. $1700 for educational support for the 17-year-old daughter whose activist mother is a former anti-imperialist political prisoner. CA

66. Father Blacklisted. $1600 for a circus school and a CIF award for the 15 and 18-year-old daughters whose father, an independent journalist, was fired and blacklisted for expressing progressive views and covering controversial topics. MN

67. Grandmother Targeted for Human Rights Work. $1500 for sports and cultural programs for the five-year-old granddaughter and eight-year-old grandson of a targeted poor people’s rights activist. OR

68. Father Fights ROTC. $1500 for school tuition for the 12-year-old daughter whose father was targeted for leading a successful anti-ROTC campaign on his campus. PR

69. Mother Threatened with Loss of Son. $1500 for after-school programs for the eight-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

70. Grandfather Imprisoned for Decades. $1500 for a CIF award and Attica award for the 18-year-old grandson of an African American political prisoner. PA

71. Daughter Prepares for College. $1500 for tutoring for the 16-year-old whose father is a formerly incarcerated, anti-imperialist political prisoner. CA

72. Pacifist Father Fired. $1500 for a computer for college for the 18-year-old daughter of a peace activist who was terminated from his high school teaching job. CT

73. Father Fought for Indigenous Rights. $1350 for recreational and cultural programs for the 10-year-old son of a deceased Native American prisoners' rights activist. NM

74. Targeted Bosnian Refugee. $1350 for educational support and a CIF award for the 16 and 21-year-old daughters of a refugee human rights activist. IL

75. Anti-Globalization Political Prisoner. $1075 for educational support and summer camp for the 12-year-old daughter of a formerly imprisoned anarchist. OR

76. Family Fled to Shelter. $1000 for educational equipment for the 15-year-old son whose mother is a GLBT activist forced to leave their home after participating in a gay pride parade. OR

77. Prison Phone Calls Connect Family. $750 for a special grant for costly prison telephone service for the 24-year-old son whose parents, both targeted activists, are serving lengthy terms after an FBI entrapment operation. NY

78. Anti-War Father. $675 for music lessons for the 17-year-old son whose father lost his job when targeted for his activities. MO

 

CIF AWARDS

79-81. CIF Awards. $1800 for three beneficiaries, aged 19 to 24. GA, NY, OR