Transforming the World: Lessons of Lifelong Activism

What does it take to be lifelong activists for justice? What motivates people to spend their lives aiming to transform the world? What keeps them energized and inspired? We are honored to present two prominent national leaders, Eva J. Paterson and Anthony D. Romero, to share their experiences, insights, and hopes as veteran racial justice advocates. Eva Paterson is the co-founder and president of the Equal Justice Society, a legal organization transforming the nation’s consciousness on race through law, social science, and the arts. As the first African-American student body president at Northwestern University, she was catapulted into the national spotlight at age 20 when she debated then-Vice President Spiro Agnew on live television. Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, is the first Latino and openly gay man to lead the nonprofit in its 101-year history. Romero has led the ACLU through the period of its greatest growth in membership, staff, and advocacy. Born in New York City to parents who hailed from Puerto Rico, Romero is the first in his family to graduate from high school. They will be interviewed by Professor Margaret M. Russell, Santa Clara University’s Associate Provost for Diversity & Inclusion,

ABOUT OUR GUESTS Anthony Romero is the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). A graduate of Princeton University and Stanford Law School, he began his tenure as the ACLU’s youngest Executive Director just days before the tragic national events of 9/11.

Eva Paterson is the co-founder and president of the Equal Justice Society, a legal organization transforming the nation’s consciousness on race through law, social science, and the arts. Her extensive legal career includes twenty-six years at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, and 18 years as chair (as well as co-founder) of the California Civil Rights Coalition. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law.

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