Gloria Steinem was awarded the Ron Ridenhour Courage Award yesterday. Steinem, a major figure of the feminist movement and a founder and consulting editor of Ms. magazine, was recognized for her life-long commitment to social justice and defense of the public interest. She will be donating a portion of the award money to Equality Now.
The two others receiving awards this year were Anthony Shadid and Rick Plitz. Shadid, author of Night Draws Near: Iraq’s People in the Shadow of America’s War won the Book Prize, and Plitz won the Truth-Telling Award for his resignation in protest of the US Climate Change Science Program Office, which drew attention to the politicization of science under the Bush administration. The Ridenhour Awards recognize “the spirit of fearless truth-telling that protects the public interest, promotes social justice, or illuminates a more just vision of society.” They are named for whistleblower and journalist Ron Ridenhour. Previous recipients include Ms. Woman of the Year Kristen Breitweiser, who was the 2005 winner of the Ron Ridenhour Truth-Telling Award.
