Sheila Bair and Van Jones to be Honored by Nation???s Largest Civil Rights Coalition

Washington, D.C. – The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) today announced that it will honor Sheila Bair, Chairperson of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Van Jones, civil rights and environmental advocate, at its annual Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award Dinner on May 7, 2009.

 “As the Leadership Conference continues to press for inclusion in protecting civil and human rights, we recognize this year two remarkable individuals for their dedication to public service in the cause of equality,” said LCCR President Wade Henderson. “This year’s honorees epitomize the dedication to liberty, justice, and equality under the law that characterized the life of Hubert H. Humphrey, the former vice president, senator, and civil rights pioneer.”

“The selection of Sheila Bair, pioneering champion for mortgage relief for homeowners facing foreclosure, makes her an especially appropriate honoree during these trying financial times,” said Henderson. “At the same time, the work of Van Jones, environmental activist and committed advocate for ‘green jobs’ technology positions him to be a new leader in the civil and human rights struggle of the 21st century.”

LCCR’s 33rd annual dinner will bring together a who’s who of the social justice community – national civil and human rights leaders, members of  Congress, executive branch officials, business leaders, educators, and the next generation of civil and human rights advocates.

Past recipients of the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights honor have included President Bill Clinton, veterans and disability advocate Tammy Duckworth, historian John Hope Franklin, labor leader Dolores Huerta, civil rights icon Julian Bond, journalists Tom Joyner, Ellen Goodman, and Soledad O’Brien, as well as elected leaders John Conyers, Barbara Jordan, John Lewis, and Connie Morella.

Proceeds from the dinner help to fund LCCR’s bipartisan efforts to enact and enforce meaningful civil rights protections for all Americans. 

The awards dinner, the nation’s largest gathering of the civil and human rights community, will be held at the Hilton Washington (1919 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.).  Ticket and sponsorship information are available on the LCCR website or by calling (202) 263-2857.

About the 2009 Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award Honorees:

Sheila Bair

Sheila Bair is the Chairperson of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which plays a pivotal role in insuring and supervising the nation’s financial institutions. With today’s financial crisis affecting everyone from individual homeowners to some of the largest banks in the country, Ms. Bair and her agency have moved to the forefront of the government’s response.  Standing at the vanguard, Ms. Bair was one of the first people to take notice and speak against an alarming trend in aggressive lending practices, warning of the need for more regulation to protect consumers.

Van Jones

Van Jones is a civil rights and environmental advocate working to combine solutions to social inequality and environmental injustices. He is the president and founder of Green For All, a national organization dedicated to building an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.  Green For All grew out of Jones’ work creating a “Green Job Corps” in Oakland, CA, as a program at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, which he co-founded.