Susan B. Anthony Awards
~2010 Awardees~Shelby Knox When Shelby Knox realized that more and more of her female classmates in Lubbock, Texas were coming to school pregnant, her life as a "model" Southern Baptist teen changed forever. In a highly conservative town with some of the highest teen pregnancy and STI rates in the country, her brave quest for comprehensive sex education began at age 15 when she publicly challenged the practices of preachers and teachers. Her journey is documented in the Sundance award-winning film, The Education of Shelby Knox. Since then, Shelby has become a feminist organizer for reproductive justice and a national advocate for comprehensive sex education, testifying before city councils, state legislatures and the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives about the failure of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.
Lyn Pentecost Lyn Pentecost sprang into action, when the Boys Club of New York refused to follow the national trend of opening its membership to girls. She mobilized women in her neighborhood, and the Lower Eastside Girls Club was born. For years, the club operated out of church basements and make-shift spaces, but thanks to Lyn's efforts the club is poised to break ground on a multi-level, state- of-the-art facility. Lyn has worked tirelessly to help her community create a space for girls and to help young women flourish and thrive through
programming designed to build ethical, entrepreneurial, and environmental awareness and leadership. Venita Pinckney When giving birth to her son last year while serving a sentence at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, Venita Pinckney was placed in waist restraints, ankle shackles, and handcuffs. She even had black boxes placed over her hands to further restrict movement. Her terrible experience inspired her to become both a leader and tenacious ally in the fight to end the cruel practice of shackling inmates during labor. By raising her voice, Venita helped push through a legislative victory that bans the use of restraints on inmates during labor and post-delivery recovery. NOW and its allies fought for the anti-shackling legislation, but its success would not have been possible without the activism of brave women like Venita.
Ninaj Raoul Ninaj Raoul answered a call by the U.S. Justice Department for Creole interpreters to go to Guantanamo Bay in 1991, where thousands of Haitians were detained after fleeing persecution. After returning to Brooklyn, she found herself opening her own home to pregnant Haitian refugees flown into the U.S. with no resources. A first-hand witness to the ordeals faced by those seeking asylum here, she translated need into action, co-founding Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees to provide housing, support, and public assistance to hundreds of families resettling in New York. She continues to mobilize her community to deliver services, organize disaster relief efforts, and fight for workers' rights. She recently returned from Haiti, where she has been working with her organization to help earthquake survivors. Rebekah Spicuglia Rebekah Spicuglia is not a woman who sits on the sidelines when she sees an issue that needs attention. As a noncustodial mom, she recognized the lack of awareness of and bias toward mothers like herself. She responded by creating a NonCustodial Parent Community blog, becoming a spokesperson on parenting issues, and fostering a community and a movement. Since then, MSN recognized Rebekah as one of eight "Moms Inspired to Change History," and she has been featured in or written for The New York Times, Huffington Post, Feministing, MomsRising, the TODAY Show, and Marie Claire, among others. A feminist activist on many issues, she mobilized a national media campaign against the Chili's restaurant chain after her sister was fired for filing a sexual harassment complaint. Rebekah currently serves as the Media Director for the Women's Media Center.
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