2004 Ralph B. Atkinson Award Winner

The Atkinson Award is named for the distinguished civil rights advocate Ralph B. Atkinson. The award is presented each year by the Monterey County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union to a local advocate for civil liberties. We are pleased to announce that the 2004 recipient is The Citizenship Project.

The Citizenship Project, founded by Teamsters Local 890 in response to the passage of Proposition 187 in 1994, is dedicated to an expanded citizenship and consistently represents such values as education and self-organization through mutual support. In 2004 they became a close partner to the Central Labor Council, and are currently helping the Labor Council form a new coalition for immigrant rights here on the Central Coast.

With the help of over 1,000 immigrant community volunteers, The Citizenship Project has provided very low-cost immigration services, registered thousands of new voters, and conducted voter workshops for new citizens. With their assistance, over 15,000 residents of the Central Coast have applied for U.S. citizenship.

Since 1998 they have sponsored Jovenes en Accion, Youth in Action. This immigrant youth leadership development program registers voters, teaches in the school, produces plays about their experience, and has led the struggle in our region for educational and employment rights for undocumented youth.

They build citizenship by helping people form groups to act together. In addition to the groups mentioned above, groups they have launched include La Hermandad de Ex-Braceros (Brotherhood of Ex-Braceros), Mujeres del Sur (Triqui women in Greenfield), and La Alianza para una Mañana Mejor (south Salinas Valley Latino political club).

We are privileged to have The Citizenship Project take its place amongst the list of local civil rights advocates who have honored us by accepting the Ralph B. Atkinson Award for Civil Liberties.