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contact: Zachary Barowitz
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Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility
Announce 2008 Lewis Mumford Award Winners
Saturday May 17, 2008 6:00 pm
Boston Architectural College - McCormick Gallery
League of Young Voters, Mel King and Nuestra Raices
To Be Honored For Outstanding Work in Social Responsibility
(Boston, MA, April 29, 2008) – Architects, Designers & Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR), a non-profit organization of design professionals committed to peace, environmental protection, ecological building, social justice, and community development announced today the recipients of the 2008 Lewis Mumford Awards. The League of Young Voters, a non-profit citizen action group, activist Mel King, and Nuestras Raìces, a non-profit grass roots organization were awarded the Mumford for their outstanding contributions to world peace, socially responsible development, and environmental preservation, respectively.
A reception and party to honor the three winners will take place on Saturday, May 17, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm at McCormick Gallery at Boston Architectural College, 320 Newbury Street, Boston. http://www.the-bac.edu The event is free and open to the public. Students are encouraged to attend.
In 1992, ADPSR instituted the annual Lewis Mumford Awards, program to honor people and organizations that exemplify ADPSR's goals of peace, preservation of the natural and built environment, and socially responsible development. The awards were named after Lewis Mumford (1895-1990) an American historian of technology and science, noted for his study of cities and urban architecture. “Lewis Mumford's writings continue to inspire and remind us that architecture, design, and planning, must respond to human needs, harmonize with its surroundings, and reflect the aspirations and social context of our civilization,” said Lynne Elizabeth, President, ADPSR.
The League of Young Voters was named for the 2008 Mumford Award for outstanding efforts in world peace. The League operates year-round, long-term, community-based campaigns to engage young people to participate in political process with a focus on citizens who have been disengaged, particularly low-income and people of color. The organization trains community organizers, build alliances across issues and narrows racial divides with outreach conducted during and outside of election cycles. The League lobbies at the local, state and national level for change. In just three years, local Leagues chapters have become household names in their communities, recognized as a respected player in national politics for their ability to educate and to mobilize communities and individuals to get involved in the political process. www.theleague.com/
Recognized for outstanding work in the area of community development is 2008 Mumford Award recipient Mel King, a veteran activist who has fostered community development in Boston for 55 years, serving as a youth worker, community organizer, state legislator, author and educator. In the 1950’s King began working with at-risk youth and street gangs in the South End. He then moved into urban renewal, founding the Community Assembly for the South End to give tenants and residents a voice in their community’s future, and went on to direct the New Urban League of Greater Boston. While there, King helped the South End organize a highly effective demonstration against demolition without relocation, resulting in a housing complex dubbed “Tent City” after one of its more dramatic components. In 1970 he began a career as Adjunct Professor of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT, punctuated by a nine year stint as a state legislator and a book, Chain of Change: Struggles for Black Community Development. On “retirement” 25 years later, he established a computer training center for low-income people. He is the founder and current director of the South End Technology Center. http://www.tech-center-enlightentcity.tv/
The Lewis Mumford Award for Environmental preservation was awarded to Nuestras Raìces (Our Roots), a grass-roots organization that promotes economic, human and community development in Holyoke, Massachusetts through projects relating to food, agriculture and the environment. The organization’s Protectores de la Tierra program trains youth leaders to host environmental workshops and educational tours and teach painting, mural and garden design. They currently manage a greenhouse, eight community gardens and two youth gardens and are planning more. Nuestras Raìces holds workshops on nutrition and cooking, run a Farm School, sell produce at farmers markets and take it home, and design and build nature trails while their youth are involved in city planning meetings and the Holyoke Youth Commission advising the mayor on youth issues. http://www.nuestras-raices.org/
About Architects / Designers / Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR)
Established in 1981 as a 501(c) 3 public-benefit organization, ADPSR works for peace, environmental protection, ecological building, social justice, and the development of healthy communities. With the foundation that design practitioners have a significant role to play in the well-being of their communities, ADPSR has focused much of its effort on ecologically and socially responsible development. ADPSR participates as an NGO in the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT). There are presently four ADPSR chapters in the U.S.: New York, Chicago, Northern California and Southern California. ARCPeace is ADPSR's international affiliate. More information can be found at http://www.adpsr.org/Home.htm
adpsr.org/Initiatives/Awards.htm
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