Alphonso David

Alphonso David (born 1970) is an American attorney and LGBT civil rights leader.[1] In August 2019, he became the president of the Human Rights Campaign. He is the first civil rights lawyer and first person of color to serve as president of the organization.[2][3][4]

Alphonso David
President of the Human Rights Campaign
Incumbent
Assumed office August 2019
Preceded by	Chad Griffin
Personal details
Born	1971 (age 49–50) Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.
Relations	William Tolbert (great-uncle)
Alma mater	University of Maryland, College Park Temple University School of Law

Early life

David was born in Silver Spring, Maryland. His family moved to Monrovia, Liberia, when he was one year old. In 1977, David's father was elected mayor of his city while his great uncle William Tolbert was President of Liberia.[5] In 1980 during a military coup, David's uncle was assassinated and his father was incarcerated. His family lived under house arrest for 18 months and sought political asylum in the United States when he was 10 years old.[6]

Education

David graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park[7] in 1992 and Temple University Law School in 2000. While at Temple, David was a member of the University's national trial team and the Political and Civil Rights Law Review.[8]

Career

Early career

After graduation David worked as a judicial law clerk for the Clifford Scott Green, a Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania known for issuing a decision finding racial discrimination in the Philadelphia Police Department.

Next, David joined Blank Rome LLP, a national law firm based in Philadelphia, to work as a litigation associate. He also got heavily involved in pro bono work, such as helping victims of domestic violence.[9]

Civil rights litigation

David served as a staff attorney at the Lambda Legal Defense and Educational Fund from 2004-2007.[10] He worked on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-centered cases around the country involving issues like HIV, employment and housing accommodations. [5] David worked on New York’s first marriage equality case, Hernandez v. Robles. They won at the trial court but lost on appeal.[11] After three years with Lambda Legal, he joined Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's Office as Bureau Chief for Civil Rights where he managed and prosecuted cases statewide ranging from deceptive business practices to immigration fraud[12][13]

Counsel to New York Governor Cuomo

David served for four years in the Governor’s cabinet as the Deputy Secretary and Counsel for Civil Rights, the first position of its kind in New York State. In this capacity, he was responsible for a full range of legal, policy, legislative and operational matters affecting civil rights and labor throughout the State[14]

In 2015, David was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo to serve as Counsel to the Governor. In this role, he functioned as the Governor’s chief counsel and principal legal advisor, and oversaw all significant legal and policy deliberations affecting New York State, including evaluating proposed legislation; implementing laws and policies and formulating the State’s posture in both affirmative and defensive litigation.[15][16]

During this tenure in the Governor’s Office, David worked on landmark legislation and policy including the Marriage Equality Act, which removed legal barriers permitting same-sex couples to marry, the Workers Compensation Reform Act, which modernized key components of the program to ensure greater accountability and functionality,  the Paid Family Leave Act, which ensures individuals leave to care for a sick family member, and the Minority and Women Business Program, which expanded contracting opportunities for MWBEs throughout the state.[17][18]

President of the Human Rights Campaign

Human Rights Campaign logo

After 12 years with the New York state government, David became president of the Human Rights Campaign where he will have a larger platform to advocate for LGBTQ issues. According to their website, the HRC "represents a force of more than 3 million members and supporters nationwide. As the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization, HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community." [19]

Personal life

He has worked as an Adjunct Professor of Law.[20] David is openly gay, and his favorite vacation destination is Italy.[21][22] He cites James Baldwin as his LGBT+ hero for "daring to dream big and beyond the limitations others placed on him."[23]

Awards and honors

In May 2017, David received the Public Servant of the Year Award from the Metropolitan Black Bar Association for his advocacy.[24] [25]In February 2018, the Asian American Bar Association bestowed its public service award on David. In September 2019, David received a public appreciation recognition from the Chief Judge of New York State, on behalf of the Indigent Legal Services Board, for his “extraordinary contributions to improving the quality of mandated representation in New York State.[26] In June 2020, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade, Queerty named him among the fifty heroes “leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people”.[27][28]

Further resources

Hear David' story in his own words - HRC - Alphonso David

References

1. "Human Rights Campaign taps Alphonso David as next president". Washington Blade: Gay News, Politics, LGBT Rights. 2019-06-25. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
2. "Meet Alphonso David, Incoming President of the Human Rights Campaign". You Tube. Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
3. "Human Rights Campaign Picks Alphonso David as New President". Time. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
4. "HRC Names First Civil Rights Lawyer, First POC President". www.advocate.com. 2019-06-25. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
5. "Politics is in Alphonso David's blood whether he likes it or not". amsterdamnews.com. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
6. "The third-most-powerful person in Cuomo's office". Crain's New York Business. 2015-05-24. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
7. https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-alphonso-david-lgbtq-rights-0626-story.html
8. https://www.linkedin.com/in/alphonso-david-59113b2/
9. https://auburnpub.com/blogs/eye_on_ny/alphonso-david-counsel-to-cuomo-leaving-to-lead-human-rights/article_68e366a9-fc1a-5afc-8a52-20a51c889490.html
10. https://www.hrc.org/hrc-story/staff/alphonso-david
11. https://outleadership.com/outleader/alphonso-david/
12. "Immigration Consultants Under Investigation for Cheating Haitians | WNYC | New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News". WNYC. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
13. https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/pdfs/bureaus/civil_rights/Arbitron%20Consent%20Order%2001-07-08.pdf
14. "Alphonso David". cardozo.yu.edu. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
15. "Alphonso David". cardozo.yu.edu. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
16. "How to Become One of the Most Powerful Lawyers in New York State Government". Bryce Legal - Best-in-Class Career Services for Lawyers. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
17. "What Happened Next in New York". www.advocate.com. 2011-10-17. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
18. "Alphonso David | Out Leadership". 2018-07-16. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
19. Campaign, Human Rights. "HRC Story | About Us". Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
20. https://www.hrc.org/hrc-story/staff/alphonso-david
21. Brown, Jennifer (2017-08-04). "Alphonso David: From Immigrant to The Third Most Powerful Man in New York State". Jennifer Brown Speaks. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
22. https://www.hrc.org/hrc-story/staff/alphonso-david
23. https://outleadership.com/outleader/alphonso-david/
24. "Alphonso B. David | Metropolitan Black Bar Association". Retrieved 2021-01-28.
25. "Metropolitan Black Bar Association honors Judge Kuntz during awards gala". Brooklyn Eagle. 2017-05-25. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
26. https://ils.ny.gov/files/ILS%20Board/Alphonso%20David%20%20Public%20Appreciation%20092019.pdf
27. "Queerty Pride50 2020 Honorees". Queerty. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
28. Editors (2020-07-02). "9 queer political figures creating a more perfect union this election year". Queerty. Retrieved 2020-07-28.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)