Each year, the Women’s and Fair Practices Departments awards the Augusta Y. Thomas Civil Rights Award to four dedicated trade unionists who exemplify what it means to be a true champion for civil, human, women, and workers’ rights in four areas of service:

𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: The award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to educating and training members in their local, council, and/or districts by providing EEO trainings and assistance, promoting diversity and inclusion efforts in their workplaces, and more.

𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to mobilizing and organizing AFGE members around civil, human, and worker's rights in their local, council, and/or district. This award recognizes an individual who has helped advance civil and human rights, strengthened the worker's rights agenda, worked with AFL-CIO constituency groups and other allied organizations, and more.

𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to improving working conditions through political action, especially around employment discrimination. This award recognizes an individual who has worked with state or local officials to address issues facing employees in the workplace and in their communities.

𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to combatting discrimination in the workplace through litigation. This award recognizes an individual who has advised, assisted and represented members with their EEO cases before the EEOC, MSPB and/or in arbitrations; monitored trends in EEO laws and regulations, worked with their Agency, state or local officials to address EEO issues in the workplace, and more.

We encourage AFGE locals, councils, districts, and general members to nominate individuals who are active in their union and who exemplify NVP Emeritus Augusta Y. Thomas’s legacy of fighting for a more just workplace, union, and world.

Nominations must be submitted by February 1, 2022 at 5 PM EST. All winners will be announced and awarded during the Civil Rights Luncheon at the 2022 Legislative Conference.

If you have any questions about the Augusta Y. Thomas Civil Rights Award, please contact the Women’s and Fair Practices Department’s Program Specialist, Katie Brown at katie.brown@afge.org.