(Photo courtesy of the ACLU of Massachusetts)
The ACLU Foundation of Massachusetts this week honored former Representative Byron Rushing as recipient of the organization’s Roger Baldwin Award for lifetime achievements and contributions to civil liberties and civil rights.
A community organizer and historian, Representative Rushing served in the state House of Representatives from 1983 to 2018. Under the speakership of Robert DeLeo, he was the House Majority Whip. In the legislature, he prioritized public health solutions to homelessness and addiction; fought to keep the death penalty out of Massachusetts; worked to address racial disparities in policing and in our legal system; and fearlessly championed LGBTQ rights, leading on every major LGBTQ bill in the legislature from the 1980s through his retirement and ensuring the right to equal marriage in Massachusetts.
“Representative Byron Rushing is a true civil liberties and civil rights hero among us,” said Carol Rose, Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. “He has dedicated his life to fighting for racial justice, civil rights, and democracy. His work has meaningfully impacted so many people and families across the Commonwealth – ensuring the right to parent how we choose, to marry who we love, to express ourselves freely without fear of discrimination, and more. His enduring commitment to equality and justice inspires us all to embrace the civil rights hero within us.”
Named after the founder of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Roger Baldwin Award is given each year to an individual who has defended and advanced civil liberties throughout their career. Recent recipients include Devin McCourty, Ambassador Andrew J. Young, ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt, Lilly Ledbetter, Harry Belafonte, and more.
Representative Rushing accepted the award at the ACLU Foundation of Massachusetts’ annual Bill of Rights Dinner on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. He was joined in support by Representative Ruth Balser; Representative Mike Connolly; Representative Marjorie Decker; Representative Mindy Domb; Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier; Representative Carmine Gentile; Representative Mary Keefe; Representative Kay Khan; Representative Jack Lewis; Representative Jay Livingstone; Representative David Vieira; Senator Julian Cyr; Senator Jamie Eldridge; Senator Pat Jehlen; Senator Jason Lewis; former Representative Paul Demakis; former Representative Carol Donovan; former Representative Ellen Story; and former Representative Marty Walz.
For more information about the ACLU of Massachusetts, go to: www.aclum.org