Kathy Kelly, two-time nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, and Ishmael Flory, long-time member of the Communist Party, head the list of honorees at this year’s annual People’s Weekly World/Nuestro Mundo banquet. Barbara Moore, vice president of the Coalition to Protect Public Housing, and a representative of the Carousel Linen workers round out the list of those who have been nominated to receive the Chris Hani/Rudy Lozano Award.
William McNary, president of USAction, will be the keynote speaker. (See interview with McNary, page 5.) People’s artist Peggy Lipshutz and singer Christian Lens highlight the afternoon’s cultural presentation.
“We are very proud of our honorees, keynote speaker and entertainers, all of whom represent the finest of today’s struggles for peace, justice and democracy,” John Bachtell, chair of the banquet committee, said. “They also represent the ideals for which Chris Hani and Rudy Lozano gave their lives.”
Bachtell said the banquet committee sees the event “as more than a fundraiser for the People’s Weekly World, important as that is. It is also planned as an opportunity to draw strength for a final push to defeat the right wing in this year’s election wars.”
Bachtell, organizer of the Illinois district of the Communist Party, said the election will be “even more crucial” if the Bush administration succeeds in its effort to win congressional approval for launching a war against Iraq. “We simply cannot allow such a crime to happen,” he said.
The Chris Hani/Rudy Lozano Award is named in honor of Chris Hani, one-time commander of the armed wing of African National Congress and General Secretary of the South African Communist Party, and Rudy Lozano, a Mexican-American activist and key player in the campaign that elected Harold Washington as Chicago mayor in 1983. Both were gunned down by assassins.
In addition to Bachtell, banquet sponsors include Rev. Willie Barrow, chair, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition board of directors; Chicago Alderman Theodore Thomas; Katie Jordan, president, Chicago CLUW; Rep. Bobby Rush; and Tom Balanoff, president, SEIU Local 1.
Doors will open at 2 p.m., Oct. 20, at the Three Happiness Café, 2130 S. Wentworth, with dinner at 2:30. Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the door and may be ordered from: People’s World; 3116 S. Halsted; Chicago, Ill. 60608. By phone: (312) 842-5665.
Reduced-rate parking is available across the street from the café.
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