drop shadow decoration
Home → News Releases → Release

ACLU Foundation Honors Martin Scorsese and Lava Record's Jason Flom

Wednesday, May 19, 1999

On July 12, the ACLU Foundation of Southern California will present its 1999 Torch of Liberty Award to two social activists and civil libertarians: acclaimed film director Martin Scorsese and record company executive Jason Flom.

The gala benefit dinner will be held on Monday, July 12, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. It will begin with a reception from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., immediately followed by dinner and the evening's program. The funds raised by the Torch of Liberty event enable the ACLU Foundation of Southern California to continue its defense of the Bill of Rights.

The Torch of Liberty Award was created to acknowledge the contributions made by individuals from the media and the arts and entertainment industry whose creative work affirms the democratic principles that underlie the promise of . liberty and justice for all,. . says Ramona Ripston, Executive Director of the ACLU Foundation of Southern California. . The ACLU believes that while it fights to protect these rights through the courts and legislatures, the message makers in our popular culture can build support for these issues by fostering the values necessary to support individual rights and equal justice..

Martin Scorsese has been one of the film industry. s most outspoken defenders of artistic freedom and the First Amendment. Scorsese has consistently challenged critics and would-be censors. Throughout the controversy engendered by the religious right towards . The Last Temptation of Christ. and by the Chinese government officials toward . Kundun, Scorsese has stood firm in his convictions. His advocacy on Capitol Hill for film preservation resulted in passage of the National Film Preservation Act of 1988 and established the National Film Preservation Foundation, ensuring the survival of America's rich motion picture heritage. Martin Scorsese has demonstrated his dedication to artistic freedom by his criticism of film colorization and other film alterations, his support for The National Film Disclosure Act, and his opposition to both the Communications Decency Act and the V-Chip. The ACLU Foundation of Southern California is proud to pay tribute to the important example Martin Scorsese has set as an advocate for the First Amendment.

Jason Flom is not only the Senior Vice President at Atlantic Records and President of Lava Records, but also an activist with an extraordinary commitment to justice. After reading an article about a young man serving 15 years to life in a maximum security prison for a first-time drug offense, Flom took action. He has now been responsible for freeing three people from unjust prison sentences, including the young man who first inspired him to action, all of whom were victims of mandatory minimum sentencing. In a recent extensive interview in HITS Magazine, Flom addressed sentencing disparity, introducing the subject to a entirely new audience. Flomm serves on the Board of Directors of Families Against Mandatory Minimums (F.A.M.M.), and he is also spearheading a concert event to benefit the organization, sheduled to take place this fall in New York City.

Ramona Ripston, executive director of the ACLU Foundation of Southern California says, . These two individuals have made significant contributions to the struggle for civil rights and civil liberties in this country, and we take great pride in saluting their accomplishments and presenting them with the ACLU Foundation's 1999 Torch of Liberty Award..

Throughout its more-than-75-year history, the ACLU Foundation of Southern California has taken a leadership role when individual liberty and equal rights are threatened. Its docket encompasses a broad spectrum of cases involving civil liberties and civil rights. We work to secure the rights of all, but most especially those most vulnerable to discrimination. Clients represented include women, children, people of color, lesbians and gay men, workers, the poor, and people with disabilities, including HIV disease. The ACLU Foundation of Southern California has always been at the forefront of the ongoing battle to defend the First Amendment including protecting free speech, creative expression and fighting censorship on the newest frontier -- the Internet.

home | contact us | volunteer | jobs | privacy policy | legal intake | chapter calendar | RSS/feeds

This is the web site of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and the ACLU Foundation of Southern California.
Learn more about the distinction between these two components of the ACLU. Copyright 2007 The ACLU of Southern California.