NEW ORLEANS—The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana will be hosting Rise and Resist: A Post-Election Rally tomorrow, December 5 at the Broadside in New Orleans. At this event, directors from the ACLU of Louisiana will be sharing our plans for this moment, hosting a panel with participants and donors from our Truth and Reconciliation Project, and presenting the Ben Smith Civil Liberties Award.
“This moment calls each of us to act boldly and sacrificially,” said Alanah Odoms, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana. “It challenges us to confront the injustices of the past, acknowledge the harm inflicted on marginalized communities, and commit to building a future rooted in truth, equity, and reconciliation. We are eager to come together to share our vision for protecting our beloved community and to celebrate the transformative work of our Truth and Reconciliation Project.”
The Truth and Reconciliation Project creates a template for reparations and is the first-ever guaranteed income program to deliver recurring cash relief to families that have experienced police violence and harassment. Started in 2022, the project comes from the donations of Buck and Gracie Close, two siblings who descend from the Springs and White families in Fort Mill, South Carolina and whose wealth was inherited from ancestors who were prominent enslavers and figures in the trade of enslaved people. As a result of this partnership, and with implementation support for the Fund for Guaranteed Income, the Truth and Reconciliation Project provided monthly payments of $1,000 for one year to 12 individuals in Louisiana who experienced police violence and did not receive restitution through the courts. Read findings from our project here.
The 2024 Ben Smith Award will be awarded to the founding donors of the Truth and Reconciliation Project, Buck and Gracie Close.
"We are deeply honored to receive the Ben Smith Award. We are even more thrilled that we can use this as a template to inspire others. This is what philanthropy looks like in 2024," said Buck and Gracie Close, Ben Smith Award recipients. "We donated the gift that started the Truth and Reconciliation Project, because we know the ignoble truth that the fiscal benefits slavery created for white people and this country have not ended. To be clear, this gift was not a handout. This gift was a debt owed."
Deacon Buck Close, a Tulane University alumna and lifelong servant leader, has dedicated his life to service, his family, and ministry. He is currently serving as a deacon at St. Anna’s Church in New Orleans and St. John the Evangelist Church in Rhode Island. He has co-founded 1000 Jobs Haiti with his wife, Lucy, and has led successful business ventures in textile manufacturing.
Gracie Close, a Tulane University alumna with advanced degrees in social work and education, has devoted her life to fostering inclusivity and community development. From leading the Pacific Development Fund to founding the Tierra Learning Center, she has championed innovative initiatives supporting intellectual diversity, collaborative work environments, and family-focused care.
