2024 Bill of Rights Awards Slated for November 10 at The Beverly Hilton
LOS ANGELES – Stars and advocates alike will come together at the ACLU Foundation of Southern California’s annual Bill of Rights Awards at The Beverly Hilton on Sunday, November 10, at 6 p.m. with a reception that will begin at 5 p.m.
“While we work to defend our freedoms this election season, know that the ACLU – over a hundred years strong – will be ready whatever the outcome,” said Marcus Benigno, chief communications and marketing officer at the ACLU SoCal. “This year’s Bill of Rights Awards recipients reflect the persistence and zeal of our enduring mission. We are proud to celebrate them.”
Additional presenters and performers to be announced closer to the event.
This year’s Bill of Rights Awards will be presented to those who have meaningfully challenged the status quo and advanced the defense of our civil rights and liberties:
Mark Ruffalo, for his creative work and environmental activism, has been a strong advocate for justice across various issues including climate change, LGBTQ rights, and racial equality. His involvement with the ACLU highlights his commitment to challenging injustice, actively supporting their actions and encouraging public engagement with their campaigns. Ruffalo's advocacy for reproductive rights, inspired by his mother’s experience, further aligns with his support for women's rights. An Emmy winner and four-time Academy Award nominee, Ruffalo has acted in and produced many projects which bring attention to the fight for indigenous rights, environmental concerns and the communities most affected by the climate crisis.
Brittney and Cherelle Griner, for their extraordinary professional accomplishments, activism and freedom fighting. In addition to being a two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA Champion, Brittney Griner is also an American hero and anti-bullying and gender pay equity advocate. Cherelle Griner is an attorney focusing primarily on family and civil rights law. In early 2022, Brittney was detained at a Russian airport as she was on her way back to Moscow to play in Russia’s Premier League. Griner endured inhumane treatment and was deprived of contact with her family for the nearly 10 months she was detained in Russia. Her wife Cherelle Griner tirelessly advocated for her wife’s release, meeting with President Joe Biden and other elected officials and never gave up fighting for her safe return.
Please find below additional information on this year's honorees.
Mark Ruffalo
Mark Ruffalo, an Emmy® winner and four-time Academy Award® nominee, is one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors, known for his performances in films like "Spotlight," "Foxcatcher," and the Marvel franchise as Bruce Banner/The Hulk. Most recently, Ruffalo executive produced “Lakota Nation vs. United States,” a documentary which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and traces the Lakotas’ ongoing struggle to reclaim their sacred land and protect it from U.S. government and corporate interests; and executive produced “Invisible Hand,” the world's first documentary film on the Rights of Nature Movement. Beyond acting, Ruffalo is a passionate advocate for climate change and renewable energy, co-founding The Solutions Project, a national organization with a mission to accelerate the transition to 100% clean energy and equitable access to healthy air, water, and soils by supporting climate justice organizations to build solutions for communities most affected by the climate crisis- including Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and other communities of color and poor communities on the frontlines.
Brittney and Cherelle Griner
Brittney Griner is one of the most decorated and influential athletes of this generation–an NCAA champion, a WNBA champion, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and winner of the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award. She's a member of the W25, the WNBA's 2021 list of the top 25 players of all time. A ten-time WNBA All-Star, Griner is the first openly gay American professional athlete to sign a major shoe and apparel deal with Nike. As an ardent supporter of LGBTQ+ causes, Griner has worked with the It Gets Better Project and other organizations inspiring hope for youth facing harassment and bullying. TIME confirmed Griner's stature and global impact, naming her one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2023. Cherelle Griner, Britney’s wife, is an attorney focusing primarily on family law and civil rights law. She graduated cum laude from North Carolina Central University School of Law in May of 2022. While in law school, Cherelle served as the 1L Class President, Vice President of the Pro Bono Counsel, Vice President of Restorative Justice, Treasurer for the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), Teen Court Mentor, and Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem. In 2022, she received the North Carolina State Bar’s Pro Bono Student Award due to her outstanding service in pro bono.
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