Gonzaga Institute for Hate Studies Seeks Nominations for Eva Lassman Awards

Nominations Due June 30

SPOKANE, Wash. – The Gonzaga University Institute for Hate Studies is seeking nominations from the local community and worldwide for its annual Eva Lassman Take Action Against Hate Awards, which were established in 2009 to honor an individual and organization. Nominations for the 2021 awards are due June 30.

Visit the following link for more information and an online nomination form: https://bit.ly/3vLpqVM.

One individual and one organization are recognized annually for their work to counter hatred in any of its forms. Winners of the 2021 award will be invited to speak at the 2021 (virtual) International Conference on Hate Studies at Gonzaga, Nov. 4-6, 2021. (Presence at the conference is encouraged, but not required to be eligible for the award.) Recipients will be honored with a $500 award, and honorable mentions will also be recognized at the conference.

 

When making nominations, please consider these criteria:

• The individual or organization must demonstrate a commitment to both action and awareness-building within their community (whether local, national, or global).
• Emphasis will be placed on outcomes and impact of the individual’s or organization’s work.
• Nominees can be located in any part of the world and be of any age.
• Nominees must be nominated using the provided form, including a letter of recommendation. Self-nominations are acceptable.
• Nominees will be considered in the year they were nominated; nominations not selected are invited to re-apply.

Among the recipients of the award include individuals such as Eva Lassman (inaugural), Kenneth S. Stern of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate, and Rev. Happy Watkins of the Spokane New Hope Baptist Church. Organizational recipients include the International Network for Hate Studies, the Spokane County Human Rights Task Force, World Outside My Shoes, and many other exemplary groups working to counter hate.

6th International Conference on Hate Studies (Virtual This Year)

Titled “Justice and Equity: Challenging Hate and Inspiring Hope,” the Sixth International Conference on Hate Studies is one of the leading interdisciplinary academic forums on hate, related social problems, and ways to create socially just and inclusive communities. The conference is virtual this year although some in-person gatherings are planned. The lessons learned and the plans that emerge from the conference will help educators, researchers, advocates and others better analyze and combat hatred in its various manifestations to lead to communities being committed to peace, human rights, and justice. The conference website is: www.gonzaga.edu/icohs 

Highlighted speakers and panelists include: 

• Kathleen Blee, University of Pittsburgh 
• Thomas Brudholm, University of Copenhagen 
• Connie Chung Joe, Asian Americans Advancing Justice
• Robert Sapolksy, Stanford University
• Eric Ward, Western States Center 

About Eva Lassman

The late Eva Lassman, a Holocaust survivor and longtime community educator on the Holocaust and human rights, received the inaugural Take Action Against Hate Award in 2009. She stood as both witness and advocate for dignity, respect, and perseverance. She served on the Institute’s advisory board and received an honorary Doctorate of Laws from Gonzaga Law School in 2002. Lassman also received the YWCA’s Carl Maxey Racial Justice Award in 2006 for her work battling racism and empowering women. Despite her firsthand experience of inhumane acts, she never surrendered to hate or lost her indomitable spirit. For more information about Eva Lassman, her work, and her life, visit www.gonzaga.edu/elmsra. 

For more information about the 2021 Eva Lassman Take Action Against Hate Awards, contact Award Chair Rachelle Strawther, at strawther@gonzaga.edu.