Helen Engelhardt
Encyclopedia
Helen Engelhardt is an activist, author, poet, storyteller and independent audio artist;
in California, a gay marriage ban. She is involved with A Better Choice For New York and was a signatory of a 2010 open letter to Governor David Paterson
and members of the New York State Legislature in which she supports a 1–3% tax increase for the wealthy in New York state
to help avoid cuts in state services.
Engelhardt is the widow of Tony Hawkins, one of the 259 victims aboard Pan Am Flight 103
which exploded on Wednesday, 21 December 1988 over Lockerbie
, Scotland when a bomb was detonated. She attracted public notice shortly after the bombing and again after the 2001 verdict announcements in the trial of Lameen Khalifa Fhima (who was acquitted) and Abdelbaset al-Megrahi (who was found guilty). She spoke out against Libya
n leader Muammar al-Gaddafi
during his visit to New York City in 23 September 2009 to give his speech to the United Nations General Assembly
. She spoke against BP
during a 19 July 2010 news conference at Syracuse University
in New York where families and lawmakers including Senator Charles E. Schumer urged a federal probe of any BP role in the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.
As an educator and writer, she is involved in building better relationships between peoples of different backgrounds in Brooklyn, New York
, where she currently resides . sheShe sings alto with the Brooklyn Jewish Community Chorus and is a Brooklyn Dialogue Circle participant serving on the Board of Directors. She has been performing original and traditional stories before audiences since 1997 and took first prize in the storytelling competition at the Hemingway Days Festival, Key West, Florida
in 1998.
Activities
She has been active in peace, justice and environmental causes for over thirty years. She is a supporter of gay marriage and donated $500 in 2008 to help defeat Proposition 8California Proposition 8 (2008)
Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
in California, a gay marriage ban. She is involved with A Better Choice For New York and was a signatory of a 2010 open letter to Governor David Paterson
David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
and members of the New York State Legislature in which she supports a 1–3% tax increase for the wealthy in New York state
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to help avoid cuts in state services.
Engelhardt is the widow of Tony Hawkins, one of the 259 victims aboard Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways' third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from London Heathrow Airport to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport...
which exploded on Wednesday, 21 December 1988 over Lockerbie
Lockerbie
Lockerbie is a town in the Dumfries and Galloway region of south-western Scotland. It lies approximately from Glasgow, and from the English border. It had a population of 4,009 at the 2001 census...
, Scotland when a bomb was detonated. She attracted public notice shortly after the bombing and again after the 2001 verdict announcements in the trial of Lameen Khalifa Fhima (who was acquitted) and Abdelbaset al-Megrahi (who was found guilty). She spoke out against Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
n leader Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
during his visit to New York City in 23 September 2009 to give his speech to the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
. She spoke against BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
during a 19 July 2010 news conference at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
in New York where families and lawmakers including Senator Charles E. Schumer urged a federal probe of any BP role in the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.
As an educator and writer, she is involved in building better relationships between peoples of different backgrounds in Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, where she currently resides . sheShe sings alto with the Brooklyn Jewish Community Chorus and is a Brooklyn Dialogue Circle participant serving on the Board of Directors. She has been performing original and traditional stories before audiences since 1997 and took first prize in the storytelling competition at the Hemingway Days Festival, Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
in 1998.
Published Works
- Mothers And Sons – a double portrait of the German sculptor Käthe KollwitzKäthe KollwitzKäthe Kollwitz was a German painter, printmaker, and sculptor whose work offered an eloquent and often searing account of the human condition in the first half of the 20th century...
(1867–1945), who created "The Grieving Parents," a memorial to her son who died in WWI, and the contemporary German-American sculptor Suse Lowenstein, who created a work to honor her son, a victim in the 1988 Lockerbie disaster. Written by Marjorie Van Halteren & Helen Engelhardt – Produced in 2008 by Entre Deux Amies - "Chicken soup for the soul": stories for a better world – The Last Day of My Life – Short Story.
- The Longest Night – A Personal History of Pan Am 103 – Audiobook of the Memoirs of Helen Engelhardt – Midsummer Sound Company.
- Incident At Altitude – Poem. http://www.victimsofpanamflight103.org/poetry/memorial/incident_at_altitude