Union Square Awards

Blog | Posted by Diana Correa | December 8, 2009

Last Friday evening I had the honor and pleasure of representing North Star Fund at the Union Square Awards. The Union Square Awards are named for the plaza-like park on 14th Street which played a unique role in New York's history as a place where individuals and groups gathered to organize and voice their views about the issues of the day.

The activists of those times are in many ways the ancestors of the Union Square award recipients. I don't necessarily mean they're ancestors because of a shared culture, race or language. No, their lineage is one of spirit. Last Friday's awardees embody what makes this city great-- people willing to put themselves out on a limb to talk about what's wrong and then take action to make it right. It was a joy to be part of an event that honors the unsung heroes of New York who devote their lives to making a difference for all of us.

I was especially pleased to see several current North Star Fund grantees among the award recipients:
  • Brandworkers International, organizing workers in the retail and food industries.
  • Cidadão Global, organizing working class Brazilian immigrants.
  • Center for Urban Pedagogy, giving New Yorkers the means to investigate and better understand the world around them.

These groups join a distinguished panel of other 2009 awardees: Garifuna Coalition USA, RightRides for Women's Safety, Washington Heights CORNER Project, Century Dance Complex, Diversity in Arts and Nations for Cultural Education (DANCE), The Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA), and Opening Act.

To all of the 2009 Union Square award winners, I extend my congratulations, respect, and profound gratitude.