Alphonso David facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alphonso David
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Alphonso David
1970 (age 54–55) Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.
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| Education | University of Maryland, College Park (BA) Temple University (JD) |
| Occupation | Lawyer and Executive Officer |
| Known for | President and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum Former president of Human Rights Campaign Civil rights attorney |
| Relatives | William Tolbert (great-uncle) |
Alphonso David (born 1970) is an American lawyer and leader who works to protect people's rights. He is known for being a civil rights activist, especially for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) rights. He used to be the president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a big organization that supports LGBTQ+ equality.
Currently, he is the president and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum. This group works to help the Black community with their economic needs. Mr. David became the head of the Human Rights Campaign in August 2019. He was the first civil rights lawyer and the first person of color to lead the organization.
He left his role at HRC in September 2021. Later, in 2022, he filed a lawsuit against the Human Rights Campaign. This lawsuit claimed that his firing was unfair. In March 2023, the lawsuit was settled, meaning both sides agreed to resolve the issue privately.
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Early Life and Family
Alphonso David was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, in the United States. His family has roots in Americo-Liberian heritage. When he was just one year old, his family moved back to Monrovia, Liberia.
In 1977, his father became the mayor of Monrovia. At the same time, his great-uncle, William Tolbert, was the President of Liberia. Sadly, during a major event in Liberia in 1980, President Tolbert was assassinated. Mr. David's father was also put in prison. His family was kept under house arrest for 18 months. When he was 10 years old, his family moved to the United States to seek political asylum, which means they asked for protection because they were in danger in their home country.
Education and Learning
Alphonso David worked hard in school. He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1992. Later, he went to Temple University Law School and finished in 2000.
While studying law at Temple, he was part of the university's national trial team. He also contributed to the Political and Civil Rights Law Review, a publication that discusses important legal topics.
Career Highlights
Alphonso David has had an important career focused on law and civil rights. He has worked in various roles, helping to protect people's rights and promote fairness.
Early Legal Work
After finishing law school, Mr. David started his career as a judicial law clerk. He worked for Judge Clifford Scott Green at a federal court in Pennsylvania. After that, he joined a national law firm called Blank Rome LLP. There, he worked as a litigation associate, which means he helped with legal cases. During this time, he also spent a lot of time doing pro bono work. This means he offered his legal help for free to people who needed it, especially victims of domestic violence.
Fighting for Civil Rights
From 2004 to 2007, Alphonso David worked as a staff attorney at the Lambda Legal Defense and Educational Fund. This organization focuses on protecting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. He handled cases across the country that dealt with issues like HIV, employment, and housing for LGBTQ+ individuals.
He also worked on New York's first case about marriage equality, called Hernandez v. Robles. This case aimed to allow same-sex couples to marry. They won the case in the first court, but unfortunately, they lost when it went to a higher court. After three years at Lambda Legal, Mr. David joined the Attorney General's Office in New York. He became the Bureau Chief for Civil Rights. In this role, he managed and prosecuted cases across the state, dealing with issues from unfair business practices to immigration fraud.
Advisor to New York's Governor
Alphonso David spent four years working in the Governor's office in New York. He was the Deputy Secretary and Counsel for Civil Rights. This was a new position in New York State. In this role, he worked on many legal, policy, and legislative matters that affected civil rights and labor laws throughout the state.
In 2015, Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Mr. David to be his chief legal advisor, known as Counsel to the Governor. He was in charge of all major legal and policy discussions for New York State. This included looking at new laws, putting laws and policies into action, and deciding the state's position in legal cases. He also helped create important laws and policies, such as:
- The Marriage Equality Act, which allowed same-sex couples to marry.
- The Workers Compensation Reform Act, which updated a program to help workers who get injured.
- The Paid Family Leave Act, which lets people take time off to care for a sick family member.
- The Minority and Women Business Program, which created more business opportunities for companies owned by minorities and women.
Leading the Human Rights Campaign
In August 2019, after working for the New York State government for 12 years, Alphonso David became the president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The HRC is a very important organization that works for LGBTQ+ equality.
He was the first civil rights lawyer and the first person of color to lead the HRC. However, on September 6, 2021, Mr. David was no longer the president of HRC. In February 2022, he filed a lawsuit against the HRC, saying he was treated unfairly. On March 15, 2023, the HRC and Mr. David announced that they had settled the lawsuit. This means they resolved the issue privately.
Leading the Global Black Economic Forum
On June 30, 2022, Alphonso David was announced as the president and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum. This organization works to support the economic needs of the Black community.
In this role, he has overseen the creation of several important programs. These include the Business Summit and a group called the Council for Economic Opportunity & Social Justice. He has also spoken out on important issues like affirmative action, writing articles for publications like U.S. News & World Report and Fortune. In August 2023, he spoke at the National Mall during the 60th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington.
In 2023, Mr. David also served as the legal counsel for the Fearless Fund. This fund helps businesses owned by Black women. It faced a lawsuit, and Mr. David provided legal advice to help them.
Personal Life
Alphonso David has also worked as a law professor, teaching students about legal topics. He is openly gay.
Awards and Recognition
Alphonso David has received several awards and honors for his work:
- In May 2017, he received the Public Servant of the Year Award from the Metropolitan Black Bar Association for his advocacy.
- In February 2018, the Asian American Bar Association gave him a public service award.
- In September 2019, the Chief Judge of New York State recognized him for his "extraordinary contributions to improving the quality of mandated representation in New York State."
- In June 2020, Queerty magazine named him one of fifty heroes "leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people." This was in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade.
- In February 2023, Crain's New York Business named him one of 50 Notable Black Leaders. This was partly for his work in "reimagining equity and inclusion in corporate America."
