VIRGINIA RELIGIOUS LEADER, PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR AND DIRECTOR OF THE SPANISH MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
RECEIVE 2004 FIRST FREEDOM AWARDS

   RICHMOND, Va. (Jan. 15, 2004) - The Rev. Dr. Robert Bluford, Jr., founder of the Historic Polegreen Church Foundation in Hanover County; Garry Wills, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and adjunct professor of history at Northwestern University; and Professor Alberto de la Hera, director general of the Department of Religious Affairs for the Spanish Ministry of Justice, are being honored with the 2004 First Freedom Awards.
   Given annually by the First Freedom Center, the award recognizes a Virginia, national and international recipient for advancing freedom of conscience and basic human rights for people of all faiths, traditions and cultures.
   Bluford will receive the Virginia award, Wills the national award and de la Hera the international award on January 15 at a dinner and ceremony at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond.
   "Headlines continue to highlight the increasing amount of religious intolerance and violence around the world. Now, more than ever, we are especially proud to announce this year's recipients for their personal involvement in bringing to light the issue of religious freedom," said Tommy Baer, president of the First Freedom Center. "Because of Thomas Jefferson's Statute for Religious Freedom," Baer continued, "Americans are protected - by law - from such violent struggles for religious freedom. These three individuals have made noble contributions toward helping the world understand this most basic human right."
   Bluford is being recognized for his determined preservation of the Polegreen meeting house site where the Rev. Samuel Davies and the Presbyterians worked to stretch the Colony's boundaries for tolerating non-Anglican worship in the mid-18th Century.
   Wills is being honored for his eloquent writing about the roots, development and significance of religious liberty in America. His Pulitzer Prize-winning work continues to have great intellectual impact and extensive reach.
   De la Hera is being recognized for his work to expand religious freedom in Spain and create a climate of respect and comfort among all. This is significant because Spain, with its long history of state-church relationships, has not afforded every religious group the opportunity to become recognized and free to worship.
   The recipients also will participate in the "Religious Freedom in Times of Trial" Symposium on Jan. 15 from 2:15 - 3:30 p.m. at the University of Richmond in Jepson Hall, Room 120. The topic to be discussed is: "Religious Freedom R.I.P.? What are the prospects for free exercise and separation in the 21st century world of secular European and Islamic states?" This event is free and open to the public, although space is limited.
   2004 marks the 10th year the First Freedom Center has sponsored the annual First Freedom Awards, in conjunction with National Religious Freedom Day.
   Past recipients include Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain; M. Farooq Kathwari, chairman and CEO, Ethan Allen, Inc., and founder of the Kashmir Study Group; the Honorable Richard C. Holbrooke, chief negotiator of the Dayton Peace Accords and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations; and Norman Lear, Emmy award-winning writer, television producer and founder of People for the American Way.
   The First Freedom Center, a non-political, non-denominational 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization established in Richmond in 1984, strengthens understanding of and appreciation for religious liberty through educational initiatives and programming in Virginia, the United States and around the world. Currently, CAFF is developing the First Freedom Center, a world-class facility that will offer a dynamic visitor experience with state-of-the-art, interactive exhibits exploring the development of religious freedom in America, and today's related national and international issues.