SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga University has presented the 2023 Eva Lassman “Take Action Against Hate” award to the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force (BCHRTF) and civil rights strategist Eric Ward.
The “Take Action Against Hate” award is presented to individuals or organizations who actively challenge hate and make positive strides to change their communities. The award honors Eva Lassman, who was a Holocaust survivor and respected anti-hate advocate.
“The awards committee considers many factors when selecting recipients for the Eva Lassman ‘Take Action Against Hate’ awards, particularly the degree to which the nominees have engaged in action and awareness-building within their community, whether local, national or global,” says Gonzaga’s Rachelle Strawther, who chaired the awards committee. “While the committee is interested in any nomination that highlights efforts to counter hatred, we are attentive to efforts that demonstrate impact. The impact that Eric Ward and BCHRT have had on their respective communities is indisputable.”
Ward has been working undercover in extremist groups to study white nationalism and anti-Semitism as a black man. He took substantial risks to do this study. He also has leadership roles as Western States Center executive director and senior fellow with both the Southern Poverty Law Center and Race Forward organizations.
The BCHRTF were selected for this award due to their commitment to educating, supporting, informing and responding to all human rights issues in its county. This is a volunteer-only organization and has spent 30 years speaking out against intolerance or bigotry that posed a threat to the rights, safety or dignity of any individual within their community.
In his nomination letter, Tony Stewart, secretary of the Kootenai County Task for Human Relations, shared, “As one who personally knew and deeply admired Eva for her work and contributions to human rights for years in the Inland Northwest, I can think of no organization more deserving of this award.”
This is a prestigious award, both recipients will be honored at the Gala Human Rights Award Banquet in Spokane in the coming weeks. To see a full list of award winners, click the link here.
