Fig Tree - Lassman awards from Institute of Hate Studies 2019

Eva Lassman awards presented at conference

Gonzaga University's Institute for Hate Studies recently continued Holocaust survivor and educator Eva Lassman's legacy through presenting awards in her name to individuals and the Spokesman-Review for their efforts to promote peace and ensure that the stories of hate are never forgotten.

In presenting the awards at its recent conference banquet, Kristine Hoover said Eva educated people about the genocide of 6 million Jews and 5 million people of other nationalities, religions and viewpoints under Nazi Germany during World War II.

"Her inspirational story continues in many ways in our community, including art work of Spokane middle and high school students on display at the Gonzaga Law School as part of the annual Holocaust Remembrance.

The 2019 Eva Lassman Memorial Student Research Award went to the Rev. Terri Stewart, a United Methodist pastor and second year student in Gonzaga's doctoral program of Leadership Studies. Her research is on "Stages of Faith, Images of God, and Othering of the LGBTQ Community: An Exploratory Case Study of United Methodist Leaders."

A second 2019 Take Action Against Hate Award was presented to Jordan Tyrus Reidt, who grew up in a small town on the Chinook and Chehalis Nations' lands in what is now Raymond, Wash. A senior at Western Washington University, he works to alleviate hate and white supremacy.

The Take Action Against Hate award for an organization went to The Spokesman-Review. Rob Curley, editor, and Stacey Cowles, publisher, received the award.

Kristine said The Spokesman-Review was chosen for its commitment "to shine a light on the dark corners of our community so that we might find deeper understanding of how to address significant concerns to create a more peaceful, inclusive community."

Since 1994, a key word search indicates the newspaper published 1,685 articles on racism, 1,190 on bias, 540 on bigotry, 207 on sexism, 49 on xenophobia and 24 on religious intolerance. Based on their subject index article count, they have published 587 articles on immigration policy, 519 on gay or lesbian experiences, and 132 on transgender experiences.

"The Spokesman-Review has helped inform us not only of the work we need to continue to do, but also affirms our spirits with articles that celebrate themes of the conference," she said, with 9,415 articles on peace, 2,411 on dialogue, 1,446 on kindness and 919 on forgiveness.

"Eva knew constant vigilance is needed to overcome racism and anti-Semitism. We must learn from mistakes made before us and do all we can to prevent it from happening again," Kristine said. "We recognize the role of the Spokesman-Review to show who we are and who we aspire to be."