The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization, announced today its next president will be Alphonso David — the first person of color to helm the organization in its 39 year history.
David, who is set to start in August, is a 48-year-old gay black man who's enjoyed an extensive career in New York as a civil rights lawyer, legal advisor and law professor. His selection follows an extensive 7 month search to replace Chad Griffin, who announced his departure in November.
“I believe that together, we can harness the strength that’s inherent in our differences, to stand together in the face of fear and division,” said David via statement. “And that’s exactly what the Human Rights Campaign was built for.”
“If we want to win full equality, that’s going to require us to come together, to dig deep, to be resilient, to embrace our differences, to tenaciously defend the most vulnerable among us, to fight with every ounce of determination we have,” he continued. “I promise you this, I will fight for each and every one of us.”
Check out the Human Rights Campaign video introducing David who talks about his past as a U.S.-born individual who spent his youth in Liberia, the assassination of his Uncle, the Liberian president; and his subsequent escape with his family for a new life in Baltimore.