This spring we awarded 70 grants totaling $169,512. Five are new awards and 65 are renewals. In this 20th anniversary year, we celebrate the enormous growth of our program from our first grant for $802; and we renew our commitment to provide a safety net for the children of targeted activists.
NEW GRANTS
1. Iraqi Refugee Children. $3000 for sports programs and summer camp for the 12-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son whose mother worked to assist civilians in Baghdad shortly after the 2003 U.S. invasion. She was kidnapped, interrogated, beaten and forced to flee to Syria, where she continued her community organizing efforts until government officials detained her. Since coming to the U.S. in 2008, she has continued her efforts on behalf of Iraqis, starting a mutual aid society for recent immigrants. IL
2. Father Tortured, Escapes Chile. $2100 for a computer for college and a Carry it Forward (CIF) award* for the 18 and 20-year-old sons whose father, the Secretary of the Socialist Party at his Chilean law school and a supporter of President Allende, was detained, interrogated, tortured and given a court martial “trial” resulting in a 23-year sentence. After three years of imprisonment and abuse, he was granted political exile to the U.S. NJ
(*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. Leonard Peltier: Ozzy Klate Memorial Fund Award. A $2000 Attica Prison Visit grant* to allow the one, four, and six-year-old great grandchildren of Leonard Peltier to meet him for the first time. The family has been unable to afford to make the trip to visit Leonard in Pennsylvania, and looks forward to this opportunity to bring several generations together. KS (See www.rfc.org/namedfunds to find out more about named funds.)
(*Attica Fund Prison Visit awards enable the children and grandchildren of political prisoners to visit their jailed loved ones.)
4. Mother Fights to End Torture. $2000 for French lessons and athletic classes for the five-year-old daughter whose mother worked for gender equality in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, providing advocacy and assistance to women whose rights had been violated. She was detained by officials and arrested. Since coming to the U.S., she has been an active member in an anti-torture survivors’ network. IL
5. Youth Jailed for Refusing to “Name Names.” A $600 CIF award for the 21-year-old targeted activist youth jailed on contempt charges for refusing to cooperate when subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating animal rights vandalism that occurred in 2004. The authorities sought to compel her testimony because she was a member of a collective formed before the 2008 RNC to provide support and legal assistance to the radical community. MN
RENEWALS
6. George Ziefert Fund Award. $2646 for summer camp, music lessons and home schooling supplies for the six and seven-year-old daughters and 13 and 15-year-old sons whose father served a four-month sentence for refusing to return to Iraq. CO (See www.rfc.org/namedfunds.)
7-13. Intergenerational Activist Communities Work for Peace. $20,470 for a variety of cultural, educational and recreational programs for 13 children, aged five to 18, whose families are members of several radical pacifist communities. Parents and teenage children have engaged in peaceful anti-war protests and many of the parents have been imprisoned for civil disobedience. ME, NJ, NY, VA
14-20. Parents Beaten. $20,000 for educational and cultural programs for 16 children, aged one to 13, 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, CT, NY, GA
21-22. Children of Muslim Anti-War Activists. $12,750 for school tuition and an Attica award for the eight children, aged four to 16, of two Muslim men convicted of money laundering after an FBI sting targeted them for their public anti-war activities and support for a local Mosque. NY
23. Family Threatened by KKK. $7500 for summer camp, educational support and orthodontia for six children, aged five to 14, whose mother received death threats from the Klan for her efforts to desegregate a public housing complex. OR
24. Two Generations Targeted. $7500 for school tuition for five children, aged four to 14, whose father, him-self the son of a political prisoner, was fired for giving a lecture supporting political prisoners. GA
25. Activist Mother Driven from Job. $5000 for school tuition for the four children, aged four to 14, 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
26. Children’s Home Raided. $3800 for summer camp for the 11 and 13-year-old daughters whose father was harassed by the police for his role in organizing demonstrations against corporations that produce genetically modified foods. MN
27. Arts Instruction for Siblings. $3600 for music and dance lessons and a summer tutoring program for the eight-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter whose mother, an anti-environmental racism activist, was harassed for questioning the decision to place a soil decontamination plant in her low-income, predominantly minority community. PA
28. Daughters Assaulted. $3600 for school tuition and a CIF award for the eight, 13 and 17-year-old daughters and 15-year-old son whose mother, an organizer against female genital mutilation, was forced to flee Guinea with her children after two of her daughters were attacked in retaliation for her work. NY
29. Mother Beaten, Pepper-Sprayed and Harassed. $3200 for school tuition for the nine-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter whose mother, an African American community organizer, was targeted by the local police. GA
30. Summer Programs for Children of Pacifist. $3100 for gymnastics lessons, educational trips, and a CIF award for the four children, aged 11 to 17, whose father faced fines and jail time for his anti-missile shield action. OK
31. Daughters of Iraq War Resister. $3000 for sports and recreational programs for the 14-year-old twin daughters of a formerly incarcerated conscientious objector. CA
32. Mother Continues Legacy of Activism. $3000 for summer camp and recreational programs for the three children, aged three to 10, whose mother, the daughter of a targeted activist, has been arrested, beaten, harassed and jailed for her own activism in support of children’s, women’s and poor people’s rights. OR
33. Another Child to Camp. $3000 for summer camp for the 14-year-old son of an anti-war activist who was accused by a prosecutor of being part of a terrorist-sympathizing organization (a pacifist group), convicted, and sent to jail for 45 days for attempting to hand-deliver a letter to the president of a major war contractor. CT
34. Children, Parents Survived Horrors. $3000 for a support group for 20 youth aged three to 18 whose activist parents are survivors of torture in their home countries. PA
35. Activist Son of COINTELPRO Target Harassed. $3000 for the twin 11-year-old daughters of a community activist targeted for his organizing efforts on behalf of students, the homeless, and low-income communities. GA
36. Mother Threatened with Loss of Son. $3000 for childcare and educational support for the two-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son whose mother, a gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gender (GLBT) community activist, was threatened by the state with the removal of her son. OR
37. Daughter of Green Scare Defendant. $3000 for violin lessons and an Attica award for the five-year-old daughter whose environmental activist mother was sentenced to six years in prison under new “domestic terrorism” legislation which allows prosecutors to seek lengthy sentences for property crimes in which no one was injured. CA
38. Vieques Activist. $2400 for educational support for the 13-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter of a formerly incarcerated Vieques activist. PR
39. Sons Fear Losing Mother. $2370 for gymnastics, music lessons and a basketball program for three sons, aged six, nine, and 14, whose mother was threatened with prison for trying to address the needs of low-income families. TX
40. Jailers Threaten to Burn Children. $2200 for summer camp and driving lessons for the 10-year-old son and 17-year old daughter of a refugee women’s rights activist who was tortured and whose children were threatened by her Iranian jailers. OK
41. Mother Disabled by Beating. $2000 for educational support for the 11-year-old daughter whose mother was beaten during a Republican National Convention. WA
42. Son of Repeatedly Imprisoned Vieques Activist. $2000 for school tuition for the 15-year-old son of a leader of the struggle to free Vieques. PR
43. Granddaughter of COINTELPRO target. $2000 for a laptop for college for the 18-year-old granddaughter of an African American political prisoner. NY
44. Father Disappeared, Mother and Daughter Flee. $2000 for an educational enrichment program for the 14-year-old daughter of an activist father “disappeared” during the Guatemalan civil war for his anti-military regime, pro-student efforts. IL
45. Five Years for Demonstrating. $2000 for educational support and recreational programs for the 11-year-old daughter whose father was imprisoned for protesting the Navy’s use of Vieques as a bombing range. PR
46. Son’s Home Bulldozed. $2000 for a computer and guitar lessons for the 12-year-old son whose mother had her nation standing stripped, home destroyed and job threatened because of her work against the Bureau of Indian Affairs-appointed leader of her nation. NY
47-48. Summer Camp for Children of Native American Environmental Activist. $1800 for summer camp and music lessons for the seven-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son whose father served an eight-month sentence for destroying traps set for mountain lions. MI
49. Journalist Father Harassed. $1650 for martial arts lessons for the five-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son whose father, an independent, activist reporter and journalism student, was visited by the FBI and subpeonaed after reporting on police brutality and racial profiling at protests. CA
50. Puerto Rican Environmental Hero Targeted Repeatedly. $1630 for music, dance and art lessons for the 15-year-old son, and a CIF award for the 19-year-old daughter of an environmental activist repeatedly incarcerated and fined for his non-violent actions to force the Navy out of Vieques. PR
51. Mother Attacked. $1500 for tutoring for the 13-year-old son whose mother, an animal rights activist, suffered numerous beatings, arrests, and a miscarriage at the hands of the police. PA
52. Former Puerto Rican Political Prisoner. $1500 for school tuition for the 14-year-old daughter whose father was incarcerated because he fought for Puerto Rican independence. PR
53. Summer Programs for Son. $1500 for music lessons and sports programs for the 10-year-old son whose father, an independent journalist, was fired and blacklisted for expressing progressive views and covering controversial topics. MN
54. Mother and Grandfather Targeted. $1500 for educational support for the 16-year-old daughter whose mother, herself the daughter of a former COINTELPRO target, was fired as a result of her efforts on behalf of political prisoners. GA
55. Another Iraq War Resister. $1500 for piano lessons and after-school programs for the daughter, now nine years old, whose father was jailed for a year for refusing to fight in Iraq. FL
56. Father Tortured, Family Escapes. $1500 for school tuition for the 17-year-old daughter whose father, a democracy activist, was detained and tortured in Cameroon. OH
57. Two Generations of Activists. $1500 for cultural programs for the eight-year-old daughter whose father and grandfather, (the latter an African American political prisoner), have both been harassed by police and targeted by authorities for years because of their organizing for human rights. PA
58. Daughter of Political Prisoner. $1500 for music recording sessions for the 18-year-old daughter of a formerly imprisoned Black Panther. CA
59. Son of Exiled COINTELPRO Target. $1500 for tutoring for the 17-year-old son whose father was forced to leave the country or face imprisonment. AL
60. Targeted Bosnian Refugee. $1450 for martial arts lessons and a CIF award for the 18 and 23-year-old daughters of a refugee human rights activist. IL
61. Summer Enrichment for Sons. $1390 for music lessons for the 10 and 13-year-old sons of a formerly incarcerated prisoners’ rights activist. VT
62. Anti-Globalization Political Prisoner. $1390 for music lessons and summer camp for the 13-year-old daughter whose father was released after spending over seven years in prison. OR
63. Father Fought for Indigenous Rights. $1250 for music lessons and camp for the 12-year-old son of a deceased Native American prisoners’ rights activist. NM
64. Granddaughter Pays Tribute. $1000 for a special grant to allow the 18-year-old granddaughter of a GLBT activist to join family members at the peace conference where her grandmother, with whom she lived, was killed in a traffic accident in 2009. OR
65. Parents Face Threat of Deadly Force. $924 for music lessons for the nine-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter whose parents, members of a pacifist community, have participated in numerous protests at an Air Force base near their home. They continue their protests, despite a declaration from officials allowing the use of “deadly force” against protestors if they “infiltrate the military complex in a time of war.” CA
CIF AWARDS
66-70. CIF Awards. $3600 for 6 beneficiaries, aged 17 to 21, from five families. AZ, CA, CT, MA, NC