The Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. Center for Education, Justice & Ethics
Third Annual Lecture on Thursday, November 11th 5:30 PM – 8:00 P.M. EST.
College Park, MD --- On Thursday, November 11th, 2021, from 5:30 – 8:00 PM EST, The Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. Center for Education, Justice, & Ethics will be hosting their Third Annual Lecture in a hybrid format. There will be a live audience at The Hotel at The University of Maryland (7777 Baltimore Ave, College Park, MD 20740) and a broadcast to those joining virtually. To attend this FREE event, please register here: https://go.umd.edu/jawlecture21
The annual Hon. Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. Lecture series is a forum dedicated to recognizing those individuals and organizations whose exemplary commitment to education, restorative social justice, ethical leadership, and civic responsibility stands as a model of excellence and inspiration in the midst of a cultural and political environment increasingly characterized by cynicism, apathy, and polarization. The primary focus of this year’s lecture is criminal justice reform. The Lecture will recognize the work of several organizations dedicated to defending the rights of victims, returning citizens, and the wrongfully convicted. Each year, the keynote address is given by an honoree who embodies the aforementioned values and supports the advancement of The Judge AW Center’s mission to research, develop solutions to, and provide a forum for discussing the prevailing issues facing underserved and disadvantaged communities in Maryland, the U.S., and the world today.
The Center is delighted to announce that this year Professor Erica J. Suter, who serves as Director of the Innocence Project Clinic at the University of Baltimore School of Law, will be the keynote speaker. “Fighting for individuals who have been condemned and discarded by our criminal legal system,” writes Suter, “demands that we seize every opportunity to disrupt injustice.”
In addition to The Innocence Project Clinic at the University of Baltimore School of Law, this year’s honorees include The Bridge Center at the Adam’s House in Prince George’s County—a one-stop shop for returning citizens that provides critical supports needed to facilitate successfully reintegrate into their communities, and The Victim’s Rights Foundation, an organization supporting victims of violent crime.
At the inaugural Lecture in 2018, Judge Williams noted that “the hallmark of any great society is measured by the extent and degree of involvement or engagement in activities and projects benefitting the community and advancing the public good.” On Thursday, November 11th 2021, we invite you to join us in “advancing the public good.”
The Center is also pleased to announce that AT&T will serve as one of the Thought Leader Sponsors for this year’s lecture. Their support ties into both the Center’s and AT&T’s push to close the digital divide that persists in society today. To join AT&T in supporting the mission of The Judge AW Center, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution through our registration site. For more information on how you can sponsor this year's lecture, please contact Karen Bond at kybond [at] umd.edu. Thank you.
“Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country.
This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on.”
— Justice Thurgood Marshall (1908~1993)
