Sacco & Vanzetti Foundation

ABOUT THE SACCO AND VANZETTI FOUNDATION

• The Sacco and Vanzetti Foundation (SVF), a project of the Transformative Studies Institute (TSI), was founded in 2008 in respectful memory of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. In 1920 the two Italian immigrants were arrested in Brockton, MA, accused of murdering a pay-clerk and guard during the robbery of the Slater-Morrill Shoe Company. Several hundred thousand protesters around the world voiced their disgust with the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti, believing that the Italian anarchists were innocent and unfairly tried. Following armed police repression of protesters in Boston and other large cities where the radical labor movement had taken hold, Sacco and Vanzetti were executed on August 23, 1927. Today even the Boston city government and widely respected historians such as Howard Zinn proclaim what many at the time already knew: innocent men had been stripped of their civil rights and wrongfully executed. The Sacco and Vanzetti trial represents a time in US history defined by political repression, and the capacity of common working people to resist such oppression. The SVF now emerges as a collective effort to build upon this rich history of vigorous action in defense of civil liberties and fundamental freedoms. As a first step, the SVF is seeking applicants for small “scholarships” meant to support radical social justice projects/actions that might continue the legacy of Sacco, Vanzetti, and countless other dedicated activists of their, and our time. SVF seeks to provide annual scholarships on issues of political repression, civil liberties, citizenship, immigration, anarchism, and dissent.

• The SVF is still in the initial stages of organization and gathering funds. We hope to be collecting donations from the public via Paypall as soon as possible.

• For more information about SVF please contact:

Dr. Caroline Kaltefleiter, SVF Director
SUNY Cortland
Communication Studies
Cornish Hall, Room D 324
607.753.4203
Caroline.Kaltefleiter@cortland.edu

PURPOSE STATEMENT

• SVF seeks to provide annual scholarships on issues of political repression, civil liberties, citizenship, immigration, anarchism, and dissent.

COLLECTIVE

• Dr. William Armaline,
  Immediate Past SVF Director
  San Jose State University
• Deric Shannon
  University of Connecticut
• Dr. Abraham DeLeon
  University of Rochester
• Dr. Caroline Kaltefleiter
  SVF Director-SUNY, Cortland
• Anthony J. Nocella, II
  Syracuse University

ADVISORY BOARD

• Dr. John C. Alessio
  Dean
  Minnesota State University
  john.alessio@mnsu.edu
• Dr. John Asimakopoulos
  CUNY, Bronx
  Executive Director of Transformative Studies Institute
• Dr. Steve Best
  University of Texas, El Paso
  Leading Scholar-Activist in the fields of Social Movements and Animal Liberation
• Dr. Ruth Kinna
  Loughborough University, UK
  Anarchist Studies Scholar, Activist, and Editor of the Anarchist Studies Journal
• Dr. Christian Davenport
  University of Nortre Dame
  Leading Scholar, Activist, and Author in the field of Political Repression
• Dr. Howard Zinn
  Historian, Activist, Playwright, and Author of A People’s History of the United States
• Dr. Stanley Aronowitz
  CUNY Graduate Center
  Leading Scholar, Activist, and Author in the fields of Education and Political Economy
• Ramsey Kanaan, Founder and Director, PM press

FRIENDS OF SVF

• The SVF hopes to create the “Friends of SVF” to establish a relationship with donors of various contribution levels.