AFSCME From the Heart
The winners of the first AFSCME Family Scholarships for the new millennium have already been active in carrying on the struggle for justice in the workplace and the community.
Each winner will receive a $2,000 scholarship, renewable for up to four years, for full-time course work toward a degree at an accredited college or university.
Deadline for next year’s program is Dec. 31, 2000. Applications will be available Aug. 1. Contact AFSCME’s Education Department, 1625 L St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-5687, or call (202) 429-1250. Applications can also be downloaded from AFSCME’s Web site: www.afscme.org.
The winners, with excerpts from their essays:
Fahim Bakar, son of Fouzia Bakar, CA Local 1117 (Council 36).
Being a part of AFSCME has granted my mother benefits at the job, and interning for [AFSCME] has taught me not only what they do, but how important they really are to my family. I can honestly say that the services AFSCME has provided and continues to provide are priceless.
James Camara III, son of Dorothy Camara, RI Local 2670 (Council 94).
Discrimination continues to veil the eyes of justice in the workplace. ... Shining through the darkness of unfair labor practices has been [AFSCME]. The unions have been the voice of the people against injustice.
Daniel DiMaggio, son of Geraro DiMaggio, NY CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000.
Seeing the union protests against the WTO and corporate dominance in Seattle was inspirational. A coalition of workers, minorities, feminists, and other downtrodden groups is the only way we can live up to Langston Hughes’ statement ... : “O let America be America again,/ That land that never has been yet/ And yet must be.”
Rosena Francois, daughter of Marie Francois, FL Local 1184 (Council 79).
It takes a union to raise happy, productive workers. Employees of all ages, races, and genders forming a bond and sharing the same, common goals is the unison that structures AFSCME. As a black Haitian-American, I am happy that AFSCME exists.
Merritt Kanan, daughter of Shannon Kanan, CO Local 158 (Council 76).
I am folding clean laundry and come across my mother’s AFSCME t-shirt. Looking at it, I am reminded of being at a Denver City Council meeting when I was younger. I was in awe of the number of workers in green shirts who crowded the room. I felt proud to be with my mother at that meeting.
McKenna Morrigan, daughter of Kendra Morrigan, OR Local 1724 (Council 75).
People say I have a beautiful smile. ... When I was younger my mother worked two jobs without benefits. ... Things changed dramatically when [she] got a job as a public health nurse. ... I was young and did not fully understand the blessing of union membership. I only knew that I began routine visits to the dentist. ... Soon my teeth were fixed and today I have a beautiful smile.
Ryan Nelson, son of Thomas Nelson, IL Local 1019 (Council 31).
In 1999, AFSCME provided for me the opportunity to attend the Presidential Classroom in Washington, D.C. ... The many debate sessions and speakers I heard during my week-long experience taught me a great deal about labor unions, working relations and the workings of our government.
Christopher Noble, son of Charles Noble, OH Local 7 (Council 8).
My dad and I went to North Carolina to march with Baldemar Velasquez, President and founder of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC). ... What has AFSCME meant to my family? ... Each of us has learned that ordinary people, working together, can do extraordinary things.
Wendy Sheets, daughter of Kathryn Sheets, PA Local 2322 (Council 84).
[AFSCME] ensures that every day my mother works in a safe environment and that she receives the benefits and pay she deserves. When the union detects an unfairness, it works its hardest to correct it.
Marianna Shnayderman, daughter of Arkadiy Shnayderman, NY Local 375 (DC 37).
My family is of immigrant origin. ... My parents took the first jobs they could find. ... I saw my father coming home in the morning after 12-hour night shifts. ... He was always sick and constantly worried. ... Since my father has been working under the protection of AFSCME, he has regained pride in his job and life.
