The Abraham Lincoln Brigade ArchivesPromoting Social Activism and the Defense of Human Rights
During the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), almost forty thousand men and women from fifty-two countries, including 2,800 Americans volunteered to travel to Spain and join the International Brigades to help fight fascism. The U.S. volunteers served in various units and came to be known collectively as the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.
Join us and learn about the diverse mosaic of stories that make up the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and the legacy of American Anti-fascist activism in the 20th century and today.
Check out our Online Event Calendar to plug into ALBA programming and learn how to get involved.
Also, check out our past programming by enjoying our archived event videos, including our most recent events below!
ALBA’s Board of Governors encourages all friends and supporters to join us in taking action to provide aid to those afflicted by the war in Gaza. Board members have chosen to personally donate to two worthy organizations: World Central Kitchen and Standing Together. We ask you to consider doing the same.
Our call to action is in the best spirit of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade – true champions of human rights, justice, and freedom. We honor their legacy by calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate release of all hostages, promoting peace and the well-being of all affected by the conflict.
We also reaffirm the importance of safeguarding the rights to political expression and assembly, which are fundamental to the working of a democratic civil society, and decry law enforcement-driven escalations on American campuses regarding student protest and dissent.
During this time of renewed labor action and organizing, ALBA reaffirms its support for the struggle for workers’ rights happening across the country. The headlines may announce victories, but they can also serve as a reminder that we must continue to be vigilant in the face of all attacks on organized labor and its hard-won gains for workers. The history of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade is solidly grounded in the principles of organizing workers, fighting for justice, and advocating for those whose voices might otherwise go unheard. We hope workers today can draw inspiration from the example of those members of organized labor who fought fascism in Spain, on the shop floors, in the shipyards, and in workplaces everywhere.
As unprecedented tragedies and calamities due to climate change continue to besiege our planet, ALBA views climate change as the defining issue of our time. While the Lincoln Brigade may not have envisioned this existential threat, they understood far more than others global perils of this magnitude, threatening our very existence. ALBA encourages members of our community to take all appropriate actions, including civic and political involvement, mobilizations and demonstrations, lobbying of elected and appointed officials, and personal efforts to lessen one’s carbon footprint.
Featuring Shannon O’Neill and Bettina Aptheker
O’Neill, Curator for the Tamiment-Wagner Collections at NYU Special Collections and ex-officio ALBA board member re-acquainted us with the ALBA archives and highlighted the importance of telling the stories of LGBTQ Volunteers and the challenges involved.
Aptheker discussed her book Communists in Closets: Queering the History 1930s–1990s. Drawing on the ALBA collection, among other archives, the book recounts the struggles of the Party to come to grips with the many LGBTQ folks among its rank-and-file.
On March 28, ALBA featured Mary Anne Trasciatti, a labor historian at Hofstra University, in an event to commemorate the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. Trasciatti presented alongside Abbie Harper, an activist and organizer, and Suzanne Pred Bass, the great-niece of Rosie Weiner, who died in the fire.
In case you missed it, watch it on our YouTube page.
ALBA Board Members and daughters of veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, Josie Yurek and Nancy Wallach shared excerpts and analysis on Art Shields’s fascinating autobiography On the Battle Lines, 1919-1939.
In case you missed it, watch it on our YouTube page.
Is Awarded to
The 2024 ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism has been awarded to 18by Vote. One of the largest monetary awards for human rights in the world, the ALBA/Puffin Award is a $100,000 cash prize granted annually by ALBA and the Puffin Foundation to honor the nearly 3,000 Americans who volunteered in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) to fight fascism under the banner of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.
18by Vote creates sustainable civic leadership among young people who have been historically excluded from positions of leadership and power. Founded in response to low youth voter turnout in the 2016 general election, they have since activated hundreds of thousands of young people across the country to engage civically.
Is Awarded to
Fifty years after Roe v. Wade, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives (ALBA) announces that the 2023 ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism will go to Indigenous Women Rising (IWR). One of the largest monetary awards for human rights in the world, the ALBA/Puffin Award is a $100,000 cash prize granted annually by ALBA and the Puffin Foundation to honor the nearly 3,000 Americans who volunteered in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) to fight fascism under the banner of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.
“We are privileged to have Indigenous Women Rising as the recipient of this year’s ALBA/Puffin Human Rights Award,” said Jack Mayerhofer, chair of ALBA’s Human Rights Committee. “IWR is tirelessly advocating and working for reproductive justice for those whose human rights have been unacceptably curtailed both before and since the reprehensible June 2022 decision. Due to centuries of systemic and deep-seated racism, Indigenous communities across the United States and Canada have for too long been denied the health care and justice they deserve, and this is only being made worse by Dobbs v. Jackson. We are honored to partner with an organization that so boldly combats this racism and fights for the healthcare and reproductive rights of Indigenous communities.”
In response to today’s ruling The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives (ALBA) reaffirms that it stands with the majority of Americans who support ensuring access to safe and legal abortion for all. Intrusion into an individual’s reproductive life poses a direct threat to economic and social justice, with a particularly devastating impact on women of color and low-income families. ALBA opposes any and all attacks on the fundamental rights established 50 years ago in Roe v. Wade. Keep abortion safe and legal! – ALBA Board of Governors
Ways to get organized and mobilized, from New York Magazine: Click Here
Is Awarded to
On January 6, 2022, the one-year anniversary of the horrific assault on our nation’s capital, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives (ALBA) announced that the 2022 ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism would be awarded to Life After Hate (LAH). One of the largest monetary awards for human rights in the world, the ALBA/Puffin Award is a $100,000 cash prize granted annually by ALBA and the Puffin Foundation to honor the nearly 3,000 Americans who volunteered in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) to fight fascism under the banner of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. The award ceremony took place at a live online gala on Saturday, April 30, 2022.
Due to the alarming rise of fascism in America, as witnessed one year ago in Washington, ALBA and The Puffin Foundation renew their commitment to combating far-right extremism. LAH is an organization whose mission is helping people leave the violent far-right to connect with humanity and lead compassionate lives. Their vision is a world that allows people to change and contribute to a society without violence. The work of LAH will help ensure that the horrendous events of January 6 are never repeated.
Life After Hate is a leader in the violence intervention community and the first nonprofit in the U.S. dedicated to helping individuals disengage from violent far-right hate groups and hateful online spaces. Since its founding in 2011, LAH has expanded its services to include family members of individuals who are involved with or are disengaging from the violent far-right.
A central part of the LAH mission is their innovative approach to interventions. A multidisciplinary team model pairs former violent extremists and mental health practitioners to help individuals leave hate and violence frameworks and to set and manage their goals to restore their lives.
“The work and message of Life After Hate has never been more valuable and more needed. A daily diet of media-infused disinformation touted by self-absorbed politicians spewing far-right rhetoric has led to more and more Americans turning to violence and hate groups. The success of Life After Hate’s outreach, research, and interventions shows that we can overcome this hate and have people reconnect with humanity and lead compassionate lives.” said Neal Rosenstein, President of The Puffin Foundation
The ALBA Board of Governors issued the following statement regarding the horrific events unfolding in Ukraine:
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives (ALBA) condemns the invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces. The resulting destruction, chaos, and loss of life is the sole responsibility of President Vladimir Putin, who has perverted the concept of anti-fascism to justify imperialism and these despicable violations of human rights. ALBA stands in complete solidarity with the Ukrainian people as they suffer these unprovoked and unjustified attacks.
