Spotlight on Humphrey Honoree: Bryan A. Stevenson

On May 11, the civil and human rights community will present Bryan A. Stevenson with its highest honor, the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award, for his tireless efforts combatting poverty and discrimination. 

As founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, Stevenson has been an unwavering voice for the poor and the forgotten, those subjected to racial injustices, and the children and the mentally disabled who have fallen victim to the shortfalls of the criminal justice system. Under Stevenson’s leadership, the Equal Justice Initiative has won major legal challenges eliminating unfair sentencing and exonerating innocent death row prisoners. In January, Stevenson won a historic victory for juvenile sentencing when the Supreme Court ruled that anyone sentenced to life imprisonment for murder as a juvenile must have a chance to argue for parole.

Stevenson is also a professor at the NYU School of Law, and a widely acclaimed author. His book “Just Mercy” was a New York Times bestseller and led to a critically important national dialogue on criminal justice reform.

Visit our Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award Dinner page for information about tickets, sponsorship, and our other nominee, the honorable Nancy Pelosi.