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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
May 16, 2012 Julian Teixeira
(202) 776-1812
jteixeira@nclr.org
Ms. Murguía and Rep. Barney Frank will be recognized tonight with 2012 social justice award
Washington, D.C.—Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR (National Council of La Raza), will be honored tonight along with Rep. Barney Frank (D–Mass.) by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights for their work to bring about social justice in our nation. The Leadership Conference selected Murguía and Frank for the 2012 Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award because they reflect Sen. Humphrey’s “selfless and devoted service in the cause of equality.”
In announcing Murguía and Frank as this year’s award recipients, The Leadership Conference stated: “As our current political climate is steeped in wedge politics and efforts to divide our nation rather than celebrate our rich diversity, all of us who cherish equality and equal opportunity have been energized by two strong voices of inclusion, two remarkable champions of social justice.”
Murguía has served as President and CEO of NCLR, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, since 2005. She came to NCLR from the University of Kansas where she was executive vice chancellor for university relations. Previously, Murguía worked at the White House from 1994 to 2000, ultimately serving as deputy assistant to President Clinton, providing strategic and legislative advice to the president on key issues.
“NCLR has long been a proud partner and member of the Leadership Conference and it is an honor for me to receive the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award. I accept it on behalf of the many activists in the Latino community who fight every day for justice and the chance for everyone to be part of the American Dream,” said Murguía.
Murguía has been recognized on numerous occasions for her work. She has been selected twice as one of Washingtonian magazine’s “100 Most Powerful Women in Washington” and featured in Newsweek magazine’s “Women and Leadership” issue. She has been chosen as one of the NonProfit Times’s “Power and Influence Top 50” leaders, and named to People en Español’s “100 Most Influential Hispanics.”
Murguía currently sits on the board of directors of the American Heart Association and the Partnership for a Healthier America. She also sits on the executive committee of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and serves as the board chair for the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility.
The 2012 Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award will be presented tonight at a reception and dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m. EDT at the Washington Hilton. The event is hosted by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States.
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org, or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
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