Alphonso David Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Alphonso David

Born	Alphonso David 1970 (age 54–55) Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.
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 activist. He works to protect the rights of people, especially those in the LGBT community and people of color.

He is currently the President and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum. This group helps improve the economic well-being of the Black community. Before this, he was the president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). This is a large organization that works for LGBT civil rights.

Alphonso David was the first civil rights lawyer and the first person of color to lead the HRC. He was fired from this role in September 2021. This happened after it was found that he advised former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The governor was facing accusations at the time. In 2022, David sued the Human Rights Campaign. He claimed that his firing was unfair and based on racial bias. In March 2023, both sides settled the lawsuit. The details of the agreement were kept private.

Early Life
Education
Career
Personal Life
Awards and Honors
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Early Life

Alphonso David was born in Silver Spring, Maryland. His family moved to Monrovia, Liberia when he was one year old. In 1977, his father became mayor of their city. His great-uncle, William Tolbert, was the President of Liberia.

In 1980, a military coup happened in Liberia. During this time, David's great-uncle was killed. His father was 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. They sought political asylum, which means they asked for protection because they were in danger in their home country.

Education

Alphonso David studied at the University of Maryland, College Park. He graduated in 1992. Later, he went to Temple University Law School. He finished law school in 2000. While at Temple, he was part of the university's national trial team. He also worked on the Political and Civil Rights Law Review.

Career

Early Legal Work

After law school, David worked for a judge named Clifford Scott Green. Judge Green was known for a decision about racial discrimination in the Philadelphia Police Department.

Next, David joined a law firm called Blank Rome LLP. He worked as a lawyer there, handling different cases. He also spent a lot of time helping people for free. This is called pro bono work. For example, he helped people who were victims of domestic violence.

Fighting for Civil Rights

From 2004 to 2007, David worked as a staff attorney at Lambda Legal. This organization helps protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. He worked on cases across the country. These cases involved issues like housing and employment for LGBT individuals.

David also worked on New York's first case about marriage equality. This case was called Hernandez v. Robles. They won the case in the first court. However, they lost when it went to a higher court. After three years, he joined the Attorney General's Office. He became the Bureau Chief for Civil Rights. In this role, he handled many cases. These included issues from unfair business practices to immigration fraud.

Advisor to Governor Cuomo

Alphonso David worked for Governor Andrew Cuomo for four years. He was the Deputy Secretary and Counsel for Civil Rights. This was a new position in New York State. He was in charge of legal and policy matters related to civil rights and labor.

In 2015, Governor Cuomo appointed David as his chief legal advisor. In this important role, he oversaw all major legal and policy decisions for New York State. He helped review new laws. He also helped put laws and policies into action.

During his time with the Governor, David worked on several important laws:

The Marriage Equality Act: This law allowed same-sex couples to marry.
The Workers Compensation Reform Act: This law updated how workers who get hurt on the job are helped.
The Paid Family Leave Act: This law lets people take time off to care for a sick family member.
The Minority and Women Business Program: This program created more business chances for companies owned by minorities and women.

David also advised the Governor during a time when the Governor was facing accusations. David was involved in helping to draft a letter to support the Governor. This letter was not published.

Leading the Human Rights Campaign

Human Rights Campaign logo

In August 2019, Alphonso David became the president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The HRC is a major organization that works for LGBT equality. He had worked for the New York state government for 12 years before this.

On September 6, 2021, David was fired from his role as president of HRC. In February 2022, David filed a lawsuit against the HRC. He claimed that he was treated unfairly. On March 15, 2023, HRC and David announced they had settled the lawsuit. They said they had "amicably resolve[d]" the issue. The details of the settlement were kept private.

Head of Global Black Economic Forum

On June 30, 2022, David was announced as the president and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum (GBEF). This organization works to support the economic needs of the Black community.

During his time at GBEF, he has created the GBEF Summit. This is a special meeting for business leaders. The summit was held in New Orleans in 2023. Important guests included Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first woman president of an African country, and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

David also helped GBEF form a larger group. It is called the Council for Economic Opportunity & Social Justice. This council includes 12 other groups, like the NAACP. It aims to support efforts for diversity and inclusion. It also works against laws that might limit these efforts.

As the head of GBEF, David has written articles about affirmative action. These were published in U.S. News & World Report and Fortune magazines. He also spoke at the National Mall in August 2023. This was for the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington. He was quoted saying, "Have we reached the mountaintop? Not by a long shot."

In 2023, David also made news as a legal advisor. He represented the Fearless Fund. This fund helps businesses owned by Black women. The fund was facing a lawsuit.

Personal Life

Alphonso David has also taught law as a professor. He is openly gay.

Awards and Honors

In May 2017, David received the Public Servant of the Year Award. This was from the Metropolitan Black Bar Association. In February 2018, the Asian American Bar Association gave him a public service award.

In September 2019, he was recognized by the Chief Judge of New York State. This was for his "extraordinary contributions" to improving legal help for people who cannot afford it. In June 2020, Queerty named him one of fifty heroes. This was in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade. They recognized him for "leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people." In February 2023, Crain's New York Business named David one of 50 Notable Black Leaders. This was partly for his work on "reimagining equity and inclusion in corporate America."

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Alphonso David
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Alphonso David facts for kids

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