Arts & Books
EJI’s Bryan Stevenson Awarded National Humanities Medal
Stevenson’s EJI, provides legal representation to those abused and treated unfairly in the criminal legal system.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Bryan Stevenson, director of Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), was one of 23 artists, authors, researchers, and campaigners honored with National Humanities Medals and the National Medal of Arts on Tuesday at the White House.
President Joe Biden awarded the National Humanities Medal to 11 people, including Mr. Stevenson, for their contributions to “deepening the nation’s understanding of the humanities and broadening our citizens’ engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy, and other humanities subjects.”
According to the White House citation, Mr. Stevenson was recognized “for his moral call to redeem the soul of our Nation.”
“An advocate fighting tirelessly for the poor, incarcerated, and condemned, Bryan Stevenson follows the Book of Micah’s instruction to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly as he chronicles the legacy of lynching and racism in America, shining a light on what has been and all that we can be as a Nation.”
the National Humanities Medal honors “individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities and broadened our citizens’ engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy, and other humanities subjects.”
The prize acknowledges the efforts of EJI, which has given legal counsel to prisoners condemned to death, juveniles charged as adults, and others who have been abused and treated unfairly in the criminal justice system for more than 30 years.
The award also recognizes EJI’s public history efforts, such as the Heritage Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, where visitors may learn about the country’s history of racial injustice and how that heritage inspires successful methods to tackling inequality and injustice today.
The roster of honorees in this cohort includes Spelman College’s first female African American president, Johnnetta Betsch Cole, historian Earl Lewis, Native American educator Henrietta Mann, and novelists Amy Tan and Colson Whitehead.
