12th Annual Douglass-Debs Dinner Brought Us Together

/ Barbara Joye

Each year, MADSA holds an awards dinner to honor Atlanta’s outstanding progressive activists. For the twelfth year in a row, we have brought members of the broad progressive community together at this event – from labor, civil rights and other organizations as well as new and veteran MADSA members. The dinner is also our main source of funds, which we use to support our activities and allied organizations. Erica Smiley (photo, above), co-executive director of national Jobs With Justice, gave the keynote address, emphasizing that the only way the working class can win is by making the fight against white supremacy central to our united efforts. Douglass-Debs awardees this year were Alexa Vaca of TakeAKneeKSU and the Housing Justice League. We also presented Minnie Ruffin with the new Ella Baker Award for Social Justice, and a Lifetime Appreciation Award to our founder Milt Tambor. Photos: Reid Freeman Jenkins

(L-R) Top row: Awardee Milt Tambor; MADSA officers Alexander Hernandez, Lisa Ashway, Erin Parks, Jeff Corkill, Nate Knauf. Second row: officer Barbara Joye, Awardees Alexa Vaca, Tim Franzen (for HJL), officer Speck Kevin Pratt. Bottom row: Awardee Minnie Ruffin, HJL leader, speaker Erica Smiley, Atlanta Jwj director Shannan Reaze

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