The Gleitsman Citizen Activist Award honors those who have struggled to correct social injustice in the United States (alternating years with international activists, who will be the focus of our award in 2013). The honoree, or honorees, receive $125,000 and 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.
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| 2012 |
REBECCA ONIE |
| cofounder & CEO, Health Leads |
|
| 2010 |
SUSAN BURTON |
| founder, A New Way of Life Reentry Project |
|
| 2008 |
BILL SHORE |
| cofounder, Share Our Strength | |
| 2006 |
RON GRZYWINSKI and MARY HOUGHTON |
| cofounders, ShoreBank | |
| GLORIA STEINEM |
|
| citizen activist extraordinaire |
|
| JULIE STEWART founder, Families Against Mandatory Minimums |
|
| 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 |
|
| 2002 |
MIKE FARRELL |
| believer in the intrinsic value of each human life, has, in various roles, sought to protect others, particularly those with little voice of their own | |
| MIMI SILBERT | |
| founder, Delancey Street Foundation |
|
| 2000 |
DR. JACK KEVORKIAN |
| a pioneer in end-of-life issues | |
| BRYAN STEVENSON | |
| founder, Equal Justice Initiative |
|
| 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 |
|
| 1996 |
GERALDINE JENSEN |
| founder, Association for Children for the Enforcement of Support | |
| TANYA TULL |
|
| founder, Beyond Shelter | |
| 1994 |
WENDY KOPP |
| founder, Teach For America |
|
| RALPH NADER |
|
| citizen activist, who has dedicated a lifetime to issues of public information, health and safety |
|
| 1992 |
LOUIS CLARK |
| Executive Director, Government Accountability Project |
|
| WILLIAM WASSMUTH | |
| founder, The Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment | |
| 1991 |
KAREN NUSSBAUM |
| cofounder, 9 to 5, the National Association of Working Women | |
| ANN WILSON |
|
| Chairperson of the Board of Commissioners, Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee | |
| 1990 |
SOPHIA BRACY HARRIS |
| cofounder, Federation of Child Care Centers of Alabama | |
| DEBORAH C. McKEITHAN |
|
| despite severe personal disabilities, created four national organizations to act as support networks for the disabled |
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Past members of the Citizen Activist Award Board of Judges:
David Ager, Senior Fellow, Harvard Business School
Aviva Argote, Executive Director, Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, Harvard University
Dr. Robert Coles , Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Humanities, Harvard Medical School
Morris S. Dees, Jr. , cofounder and Chief Trial Counsel, Southern Poverty Law Center
Marshall Ganz, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
David Gergen , Director, Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School
Lois Gibbs , environmental activist
Alan L. Gleitsman , founder, Gleitsman Activist Awards
Karin Hayes, filmmaker
Caroline Libresco, Senior Programmer, Sundance Institute
Candace Lightner , founder, Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Sarah Newman, Research Manager, Participant Media
J.B. Schramm , founder and CEO, College Summit, 2004 Gleitsman Award winner
Stanley Sheinbaum , founding publisher, New Perspectives Quarterly
Gloria Steinem , feminist and political activist