NEW YORK — The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law hosted its 25th annual Higginbotham Leadership Awards Gala on Oct.16 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. Marking the organization’s 62nd year of fighting for the protection and expansion of civil rights, this year’s event honored leaders across sectors and celebrated their contributions to racial and social justice amid unprecedented attacks and rollbacks by the Trump Administration.
“This year’s gala served as a reminder that we are not powerless in fighting against racism and injustice. The leaders we honored understand that fighting for equity is not only worthwhile, but necessary, to secure a future where Black people and other communities of color are no longer burdened by systemic barriers to opportunity,” said Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “We have seen some of the most powerful in our country try to convince us that fighting for justice is a losing cause; that progress is impossible. This is the fight of a lifetime, one that demands we uphold the principles our nation should aim to live up to. We won’t back down from this fight, and we are grateful for, and inspired by, all those on the frontlines with us.”
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The 2025 Higginbotham Leadership Awards honorees are:
Laurence Fishburne, Emmy and Tony Award-winning Actor, Producer & Director: Laurence Fishburne received our Racial Justice Trailblazer Award. In addition to saluting his noteworthy achievements as an Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor, the Lawyers’ Committee recognized his outstanding efforts to advance diversity and equality in the entertainment industry, promote racial and social justice, and use of his extraordinary talent and platform to foster greater awareness about the accomplishments and contributions of some of the most iconic Black leaders in American history. Fishburne has told the stories of prominent Black leaders and has shown audiences the realities of being Black in America through his unapologetic portrayals, unflinching criticisms, and reflections on race and racism. His bravery and candor have opened the doors for other Black actors and entertainers.
Kristen Clarke, Former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Justice: Kristen Clarke received our President’s Award for Civil Rights Leadership. The Lawyers’ Committee recognizes her groundbreaking achievement as the first woman and first Black woman to be confirmed by the Senate to serve as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as her full 25-year career of leadership in advancing and enforcing civil rights. During her tenure as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Clarke led reforms for policing and the criminal justice system to keep Black people and other communities of color safe from misconduct and discrimination. She formerly served as president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, where she continued the organization’s mission of fighting for racial justice and civil rights in courts across the nation.
Yolanda Renee King, Youth Activist & Author: Yolanda Renee King received our 2025 Catalyst Award. Ms. King is continuing the work and legacy of her grandfather, Martin Luther King Jr. and her parents, Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King. The Lawyers’ Committee recognizes her efforts to stop gun violence, promote voting rights, protect the environment, and end poverty. Her outstanding advocacy has given hope and inspiration to the next generation of social justice activists seeking to bring positive change to underserved communities. We also acknowledge her efforts to use her talent and influence as an activist and author to promote an accurate depiction of Black history in America. She is rallying young people like herself and lending her voice to stand up and fight for a future that she and future generations can believe in.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: As this year’s Higginbotham Leadership Awardee, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a leader in advancing solutions to tear down barriers to achieving healthy communities and equitable access to healthcare. In the face of a rising tide of anti-democratic rhetoric, attacks on truth and history, and rollbacks to basic protections, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has remained steadfast — funding vital infrastructure, amplifying community-based solutions, and championing equity as essential to the health and future of our democracy. Through centering diversity, equity, and inclusion, RWJF is reforming our systems so they work for everyone, not just the privileged few.
Chicago Women in Trades: Chicago Women in Trades received our 2025 Courageous Client Award. This year, Chicago Women in Trades took the Trump Administration head-on in court, represented by the Lawyers’ Committee in a case challenging executive orders designed to stifle diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and related grants and contracts. Chicago Women in Trades does critical work to empower women to pursue construction industry professions that have been historically denied to them. While the legal fight is ongoing, the Lawyers’ Committee salutes the organization’s commitment to ensuring that women— particularly women of color—have access to expanded economic opportunities and full access to training and jobs that they were previously excluded from due to their race or gender.
The event featured two dynamic co-emcees: Melissa Murray, a legal scholar, frequent guest on MSNBC, co-host of the ‘Strict Scrutiny’ podcast, and the Grace Stokes Professor of Law at New York University School of Law, and Symone Sanders Townsend, former spokesperson and senior advisor for Vice President Kamala Harris and co-host of MSNBC’s The Weeknight.
The Higginbotham Leadership Awards Gala is an invitation-only annual celebration named in honor of the late A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., a celebrated statesman, civil rights champion, author, professor, historian, and federal appeals court judge. For more information about the gala and the work of the Lawyers’ Committee, please visit thefuturewedeserve.org.
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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law: Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to mobilize the nation’s leading lawyers as agents for change in the Civil Rights Movement. Today, the Lawyers’ Committee uses legal advocacy to achieve racial justice, fighting inside and outside the courts to ensure that Black people and other people of color have the voice, opportunity, and power to make the promises of our democracy real. The Lawyers’ Committee implements its mission and objectives by marshaling the pro bono resources of the bar for litigation, public policy, advocacy and other forms of service by lawyers to the cause of civil rights. The Lawyers’ Committee convenes the national, nonpartisan Election Protection Coalition, which administers the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline.
