Ruth Asawa (January 27,1926-August 5, 2013) was an artist who helped to inspire art as we know it today. Asawa was born in Norwalk, California and was the fourth child out of seven. She attended Rohwer High School in Desha County, Arkansas as she had to evacuate from California due to World War II. Rohwer was a Japanese-American concentration camp at the time. She went to  the University of Wisconsin but could not get a degree because of where she was from. After that, she went to Black Mountain College. Ever since she was a young girl, she showed an interest in art. She even drew in the mud when she was a child. Ruth is famous for making sculptures out of metal wire. “Meandering lines and patterns, explorative variations of the same form or subject, and the most economical way to convey an image and characterize her work.” She helped to found SCRAP, a recycling art program. This quote is saying that trying out different patterns and lines is the best way for her to make her work different from other people’s work. Asawa also created the San Francisco School of Arts. Ruth believed that anybody who wanted to could do art and everyone had a part of them which was artistic. “Art is for everyone. It is not something that you should have to go to the museums in order to see and enjoy.”said Asawa.
Alicia Garza
Alicia Garza (born January 4, 1981) is an American civil rights activist. She is known for cofounding the Black Lives Matter movement.
Ruth Brinker
Ruth Brinker (May 1, 1922 – August 8, 2011) was an American AIDS activist. Brinker founded Project Open Hand. She also had a farm that was named Fresh Start Farms. Fresh Start Farms only hired refugees and people that used to be homeless. She received the Jefferson Award in 2005 for what she did.
Brinker was a retired grandma when she founded Project Open Hand. Project Open Hand is a service designed to deliver food to people with HIV/AIDS. Project Open Hand currently supports many other diseases. Brinker is known for helping people with HIV and AIDS through her foundation. She was able to get volunteers and inspire projects like Project Open Hand in other places around the world. She also had a farm called Fresh Start Farms. It grew expensive and fancy vegetables for high-end restaurants. Brinker would only hire refugees and people coming out of homelessness.
Even though she died in August 2011, but Project Open Hand still actively serves communities today.
Brinker died with two children as well as extended family. She ran her own antique shop before working at Meals on Wheels. She always had a courageous spirit, a focused mindset, and wanted to help. In 1985, the nation-wide HIV and AIDS problem came to light. Brinker knew she had to do something to help when her neighbor died of malnutrition because of HIV.
She received the 2005 Jefferson Award because of her public service.
Sylvia McLaughlin
Sylvia McLaughlin (December 24, 1916 – January 19, 2016) was an American environmental activist. Sylvia Mclaughlin was best known for beginning and helping the movement to save the San Francisco Bay.
Mclaughlin was born in Denver, Colorado. George E. Cranmer and Jean Chappell Cranmer were her parents. She grew up in an area with an interesting environment. She left Denver and went to Vassar College in New York.
She returned to Denver and married Donald H. Mclaughlin. Soon enough, the couple moved to Berkeley, California. They started a family in California. When Sylvia saw the environment she lived she got mad. Pollution was ruining the Bay. This inspired Mclaughlin to start Save the Bay with two other women in 1961. Save the Bay gathered together many other passionate activists and stopped 2,000 acres of land in the Berkeley bay from being filled with cement. For almost forty years, Sylvia remained on the Save the Bay board. She also joined many other environment focused boards.
Her work helped people learn about the environment of the bay and how to better protect it. Because of Mclaughlin, California is still very careful about maintaining the bay’s healthy habitat and creating laws to further protect it.
After many years of hard work, Sylvia Mclaughlin passed at age 99. We thank her for saving our bay and inspiring many younger generations to follow in her footsteps.
Sylvia Mclaughlin was best known for beginning and fueling the movement to save the San Francisco Bay.
Ginetta Sagan
Ginetta Sagan (June 1, 1925 – August 25, 2000) was an Italian-born American human rights activist.
Ginetta Sagan fought for equality. She saved many lives from 1925 to 2000. Ginetta was confident equality fighting women starting from when she was only 17 years old. She followed her. Parents path even though she knew it was dangerous. Both Ginetta’s parents were put in prison in 1943. Ginetta knew how dangerous fighting for oppressed people was. She called herself Little Mouse. Even though she went by a false name she was still caught in 1945. She was caught because a previous friend betrayed her. She was tortured for 45 days, but that didn’t stop her. She kept on fighting for equal rights for all. Ginetta put herself at risk multiple times to save others. Ginetta is known for being elected chairwoman of the American organization and receiving the Presidential Medal of freedom. Ginetta was a famous roll model for the world. Ginetta was so well known that after her death Amnesty International U.S.A started giving Ginetta Sagan Awards yearly. The Ginetta Sagan Award is given to people who work to make the world more equal. Before she moved on to speaking up for equality, she studied child development at Sorbonne University. The American Organization claims that she died in august 2000 of cancer.
Mary Tape
Mary Tape (1857-1934) was a desegregation activist. Tape fought for equal education. She wanted Chinese American students to study at schools with white students.
Mary Tape was born in China. In 1868, Tape came to San Francisco. She was an orphan. The Ladies’ Protection and Relief Society helped her. She named herself "Mary McGladery." The Society taught her the English language and how to live in the United States. She married Joseph Tape. They had four children. Tape taught her children to act like white Americans.
Tape and her family lived in the city of San Francisco, California, USA. She wanted her oldest child to study at the public school. The school said only white children could be students. It would not accept Chinese American students. Tape took the school to court. She fought for equal education. The Tape family lost in court. The children went to special Chinese American schools. Later, the family moved to Berkeley, California where they had more rights.
Tape was also known for having a middle-class family that acted more stereotypically American than other Chinese-American families at the time. She changed the way that many people thought of Chinese-American families at the time, and opened a gateway for people of her race to be more accepted in their society. She also earned awards for her photography and was a skillful telegrapher. Mary Tape died of old age in 1934, five months before husband.
Mother Wright
Mary Ann Wright (July 11, 1921 – May 7, 2009), known as Mother Wright, was a humanitarian activist. She started the Mary Ann Wright Foundation. This foundation helped feed hungry people. Her nickname is "Mother" because she reminds people of Mother Teresa. Mother Wright became an activist when she was 63.
Before she started her work, she lived in Louisiana. She was born in New Orleans. She moved at a young age. Her mother died when she was five years old. Wright was raised by her aunts and other relatives. They were devoted Catholics. They walked miles to church from their home. When Wright grew up, she worked many different jobs. She had a husband and 12 children. Unfortunately, her husband was cruel to her. So, Wright left Louisiana and moved to California. Her children came to California with her.