The Abraham Lincoln Brigade ArchivesPromoting Social Activism and the Defense of Human Rights
Teaching History–Inspiring Activism–Upholding Human Rights. ALBA Preserves the Legacy of the Lincoln Brigade as an Inspiration for all Generations
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.
2022 ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism
Is Awarded to Life After Hate
On the one-year anniversary of the horrific assault on our nation’s capital, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives (ALBA) announces today that the 2022 ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism will go 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 will take 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
Perry Rosenstein Cultural Series:
ALBA Workshops for Everyone
We are now offering a second presentation of the Posters of the Spanish Civil War Workshop
Conducted via Zoom by experienced presenters, Jordana Mendelson & Sebastiaan FaberTickets are limited. Register now to ensure your participation
Posters of the Spanish Civil War
Thursday, January 20
6:30 PM EDT / 3:30 PM PDT
Registration Deadline: First Come First Serve
Registration Fee $20.
Register Here
Jordana Mendelson is an internationally renowned art historian whose research focuses on early twentieth-century visual culture in Spain. The Director of NYU’s King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center, she is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, and affiliate faculty in the Department of Art History and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at New York University. She is the author of Documenting Spain: Artists, Exhibition Culture, and the Modern Nation 1929-1939 (Penn State University Press, 2005), co-editor of Postcards: Ephemeral Histories of Modernity (Penn State University Press, 2010), and has curated exhibitions at major museums in the US and Spain.
Sebastiaan Faber is Professor of Hispanic Studies at Oberlin College and co-edits, with Peter Carroll, ALBA’s quarterly magazine The Volunteer. He regularly writes for the US and Spanish media and is the author, most recently, of Exhuming Franco: Spain’s Second Transition (Vanderbilt, 2021).
|
Interview and Q&A Session with historian and author Giles Tremlett
Giles Tremlett, long-time correspondent in Madrid, has published a major new book on the 35,000 volunteers from all over the world who flocked to Spain to help defend the Second Spanish Republic against fascism. ALBA Chair Sebastiaan Faber joins Tremlett in conversation about that book, The International Brigades: Fascism, Freedom & Spanish Civil War, its reception, and the Brigades’ place in history today.
ALBA Statement on the passing of Manus O’Riordan
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives Board of Governors extends its deepest condolences to the friends and family of IBMT Ireland Secretary Manus O’Riordan. We were deeply saddened to hear of his passing at age 72. Manus often attended ALBA events, and regularly contributed to its magazine, The Volunteer. He was the partner of ALBA Board member Nancy Wallach. We are profoundly grateful for his work in the Trade Union movement and with the International Brigade Memorial Trust, preserving the memory of those who joined the fight against fascism during the Spanish Civil War. His writing and speaking on the topic of the International Brigades—in which his father, Michael O’Riordan, served as a member of the Connolly Column—has done much to further the cause of historical preservation that we hold so dear. Manus will be greatly missed by our entire community. ¡Salud, camarada! ¡No pasarán!
– ALBA Board of Governors
Sunday, September 26 at 5 PM EDT / 2PM PDT
A Live Online Event!
A Legacy of Hope and Activism
The event lineup included
- Legendary folk singer Barbara Dane in conversation with former SF Mime Troupe Musical Director and Spanish Civil War bard Bruce Barthol talking about music as a force for activism.
- Robin D.G. Kelley on the Spanish Republic and the United Front and what they mean for today’s activists.
- June Gipson and Deja Abdul-Haqq of My Brothers Keeper on health care activism and community organizing
- Footage from our recent Gathering at the Monument to the Abraham Lincoln Brigade on the Embarcadero
The full Footage from our recent Gathering at the Monument to the Abraham Lincoln Brigade on the Embarcadero will available to view on our webpage in the near future
Salud y Shalom: American Jews in the Spanish Civil War
We were proud to co-present a discussion on American Jews in the Spanish Civil War with The Sousa Mendes Foundation on Sunday, July 25.
Lincoln Brigade Memorial Video
In honor of the American Volunteers, we present a memorial video of those Lincoln Brigade Veterans that lost their lives in Spain fighting Fascism, and those who after the conclusion of the Spanish Civil War fell during WWII. Memorial Day is a holiday to honor the fallen, but the Lincolns have often been forgotten during this national remembrance because of their political identities. We hope this video serves as a small memorial for those too often ignored.
This is a work in progress; if you believe there is any information omitted please contact us at [email protected] with corrections.
Watch and Honor The Lincoln Brigade With Us
Susman Lecture 2021:
The Art of Ralph Fasanella
As part of our Susman Lecture Series we were happy to host a talk on and exhibition of the art of Ralph Fasanella with Ralph’s son, Professor of Art and Architecture Dr. Marc Fasanella.
A Live Online Gala!
Honoring the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
&
My Brother’s Keeper
Broadcasted Live from ALBA’s Facebook Page
Sunday, May 2nd, 5 PM EDT/2 PM PDT
The event lineup included Billy Bragg, Guy Davis, Miriam Elhajli, A Selection from Goodbye Barcelona, and more!
Letters of Solidarity from Our Sister Organizations for 2021 Annual Gala
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.
FAQs on ALBA and the Lincoln Brigade
Subscribe to The Volunteer Magazine
Browse our Volunteer Database for Biographies of the Lincolns
Support the Literary and Cultural Tradition of the Lincolns by Experiencing The Volunteer
Support ALBA by Making a Purchase at our Bookstore
News & Events
Education
117
Educational Resources
2,765
Volunteer Records
42
Years Since Founding
From the Volunteer Database
Featured Record