WATCH: EJI Founder Bryan Stevenson Presented with National Humanities Medal

President Biden awards EJI Founder Bryan Stevenson with a National Humanities Medal, Tuesday, March 21, 2023 – Photo from The White House

Equal Justice Initiative Founder and Director Bryan Stevenson has been presented with a National Humanities Medal by President Biden.

Tuesday at the White House, Biden presented 11 recipients, including Stevenson, with the National Humanities Medal, which 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.”

Stevenson was honored “for his moral call to redeem the soul of our Nation,” reads the White House citation. “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 award recognizes the work of Montgomery-based EJI, which for more than 30 years has provided legal representation to people, including those sentenced to death and children prosecuted as adults.

The medal also honors EJI’s Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery.

This was President Biden’s first time hosting the awards ceremony, which was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.