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three dancers at night

Rising Strong for 55 years Unity Through Joy, Justice, and Excellence

NEA’s tradition of honoring human and civil rights leaders is steeped in history. A tradition that began with the American Teachers Association.

The 2023 NEA HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS AWARDS Nomination Cycle has begun!

Do your part to identify, uplift and nominate exemplary individuals, organizations, and affiliates to honor at the 2023 NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards!

Submit a nomination!

Deadline for online submission of your nomination form is Monday, February 20, 2023 at 11:59 pm PST.

Get ready to submit your nomination by downloading the 2023 Nomination Application.

The 2023 NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards Dinner Brochure can also assist nominators in completing the online nomination application, where it lists awards category requirements for each category.

For additional information about the NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards or questions, please view this website or email [email protected].

Biographies of the 2022 HCR award winners are available below.

The 2023 HCR Award Categories featured this year for nominations are:

  • Applegate-Dorros Peace and International Understanding Award
  • Carter G. Woodson Memorial Award
  • César Chávez Acción y Compromiso Human and Civil Rights Award
  • Ellison S. Onizuka Memorial Award
  • George I. Sánchez Memorial Award
  • H. Councill Trenholm Memorial Award (Non-Black)
  • Wilma Mankiller Memorial Award
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Award
  • Mary Hatwood Futrell Human and Civil Rights Award
  • Reg Weaver Human and Civil Rights Award
  • Rosena J. Willis Memorial Award (State Affiliate Award)
  • Virginia Uribe Award for Creative Leadership in Human Rights
HCR gala

About the Awards

NEA’s annual tradition of honoring human and civil rights champions is rooted and grounded in the historical legacy of the NEA-ATA merger.
National Education Association

Great public schools for every student

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.