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Kerry Kennedy

President

RFK / Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights

New York, US

Kerry Kennedy

Brendan Kennedy

Smart Society Ventures

Kerry’s Biography

Kerry Kennedy is the President of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. Kerry is devoted to the pursuit of equal justice, the protection and promotion of basic rights and the preservation of the rule of law.

RFK Human Rights partners with the bravest people on Earth to create lasting change and supports them with training and litigation. Through its innovative curriculum, Speak Truth to Power, it brings human rights to students in the classroom and engages the financial community regarding sustainable investing.

Kerry’s tireless work helping others has included serving as Chair of the Amnesty International USA Leadership Council. Currently, she serves on the board of directors of the United States Institute of Peace, Human Rights First, Health eVillages and Inter-Press Service in Italy. She is a Patron of the Bloody Sunday Trust and serves on the Editorial Board of Advisors of the Buffalo Human Rights Law Review. Kerry advises a great many other organizations including AAIA, Campaign for Tibet & the Albert Schweitzer Institute.

Kerry is the author of ‘Speak Truth to Power: Human Rights... Kerry Kennedy is the President of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. Kerry is devoted to the pursuit of equal justice, the protection and promotion of basic rights and the preservation of the rule of law.

RFK Human Rights partners with the bravest people on Earth to create lasting change and supports them with training and litigation. Through its innovative curriculum, Speak Truth to Power, it brings human rights to students in the classroom and engages the financial community regarding sustainable investing.

Kerry’s tireless work helping others has included serving as Chair of the Amnesty International USA Leadership Council. Currently, she serves on the board of directors of the United States Institute of Peace, Human Rights First, Health eVillages and Inter-Press Service in Italy. She is a Patron of the Bloody Sunday Trust and serves on the Editorial Board of Advisors of the Buffalo Human Rights Law Review. Kerry advises a great many other organizations including AAIA, Campaign for Tibet & the Albert Schweitzer Institute.

Kerry is the author of ‘Speak Truth to Power: Human Rights Defenders Who Are Changing Our Work’, New York Times Best Seller ‘Being Catholic Now’ and her most recent publication, ‘Robert F. Kennedy Ripples of Hope’. She is a regular speaker at human rights events and contributor to the major networks such as CNN and NBC.

Ms. Kennedy received high honors from President Lech Walesa of Poland for aiding the Solidarity movement. She has received numerous awards from institutions, including the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the American Jewish Congress of the Metropolitan Region.

A graduate of Brown University and Boston Law School, she is a Member of the Bar of both Massachusetts and District of Columbia and holds numerous Honorary Doctorates. more less

Kerry’s Newsfeed

RFK Human Rights

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Announces 2022 Book And Journalism Awards Winners

Winners of the 2022 RFK Journalism Awards were selected in student and professional categories from over 350 entries across print, broadcast, and new media categories.

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RFK Human Rights

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Announces 2022 Human Rights Award Laureates

The annual award recognizes human rights defenders from Cameroon, Maximilienne C. Ngo Mbe and Felix Agbor Nkongho (Balla). A ceremony will be held Tuesday, June 7 at the Kennedy Caucus Room, U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C.

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Kerry’s Background

RFK / Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights

President

New York, US

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights has advocated for a more just and peaceful world since 1968, working alongside local activists to ensure lasting positive change in governments and corporations.

Kerry’s Gallery

Kerry Kennedy, Barack Obama and others at the Ripple of Hope awards

Kerry Kennedy and Savannah Guthrie

Kerry Kennedy speaks at the Common Good event

Apple CEO Tim Cook, Congressman John Lewis, and president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Kerry Kennedy attend as Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights hosts The 2015 Ripple Of Hope Awards

Kerry Kennedy at the Ripple of Hope Awards event

Kerry Kennedy, William vanden Heuvel, Juan Romero and Dawn Porter attend a screening of "Bobby Kennedy For President" during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival

Kerry Kennedy, writer, human rights activist and President of the Center for Human Rights named after her father, Robert F. Kennedy, delivers the closing speech after having signed the Lisbon Declaration at the end of the final day of the Human Rights con

Kerry Kennedy, Barack Obama and others at the Ripple of Hope awards

Kerry Kennedy and Savannah Guthrie

Kerry Kennedy speaks at the Common Good event

Apple CEO Tim Cook, Congressman John Lewis, and president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Kerry Kennedy attend as Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights hosts The 2015 Ripple Of Hope Awards

Kerry Kennedy at the Ripple of Hope Awards event

Kerry Kennedy, William vanden Heuvel, Juan Romero and Dawn Porter attend a screening of "Bobby Kennedy For President" during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival

Kerry Kennedy, writer, human rights activist and President of the Center for Human Rights named after her father, Robert F. Kennedy, delivers the closing speech after having signed the Lisbon Declaration at the end of the final day of the Human Rights con

Current Board Positions

Human Rights First

Board of Directors

New York, US

Human Rights First is an independent advocacy & action organization that challenges America to live up to its ideals. They believe American leadership is essential in the global struggle for human rights.

Inter Press Service

Board of Directors

Rome, IT

Originally founded in 1964, to fill the information gap between Latin America and Europe, the Inter Press Service (IPS) is the world’s leading news agency on issues such as environment, development, human rights and civil society.

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Previous Board Positions

Amnesty International

Chair, USA Leadership Council

New York, US

Amnesty International is the world's leading human rights organisation, campaigning against injustice & inequality worldwide.

Philanthropy

SDGUSA

Chair

May 2017 - Present

New York, NY, USA

SDG USA is a non-profit organization that supports America’s Goals for 2030. America’s Goals call for good jobs for all, healthcare for all, investing in America’s children, putting people’s interests over special interests, ensuring equal opportunity for all, providing sustainable infrastructure, and ensuring a clean and safe environment.

United States Institute of Peace

Board of Directors

New York, US

The United States Institute of Peace is an independent national institute, founded by Congress and dedicated to the ideal that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical & essential for US & global security.

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Media

The Struggle for Black Lives: A Conversation with Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights

Panel

Jun 2020

New York, NY, USA

Kerry Kennedy, President of RFK Human Rights, Wade McMullen, Senior Vice President, Programs and Legal Strategy, and Sancia Dalley, Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, discuss Bobby Kennedy's legacy, the urgent work to topple systemic injustice in the criminal justice system, and the work being done to shift investor perspectives and actions to create a a more just economy and society.

Women on the Move

Interview

Apr 2020

New York, NY, USA

Women On The Move is a global initiative designed to empower female employees, clients, and consumers to build their careers, grow their businesses, and improve their financial health. In this interview, Kerry shares her experiences as a human rights activist, how RFK Human Rights raises awareness and provides solutions for global human rights issues, and education initiatives it supports.

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Accreditation

State of Massachusetts

Member of the Bar

Boston, MA, USA

The Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners (BBE) is established by G.L. c. 221 §§35 & 36 to evaluate the qualifications of persons seeking admission to the bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

District of Columbia

Member of the Bar

Washington, DC, USA

The D.C. Bar aims to enhance access to justice, improve the legal system, and empower lawyers to achieve excellence.

Publications

Robert F. Kennedy Ripples of Hope

Author

In this book, published in 2018, Kerry shares personal remembrances of her father. Through conversations with politicians, media personalities, leaders & celebrities, she explores the influence that he continues to have on issues at the heart of America's identity.

Speak Truth to Power | Human Rights Defenders Who Are Changing Our World

Author

Published in 2006, Speak Truth to Power features interviews with human rights activists including Marian Wright Edelman, the Dalai Lama & Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

How to keep ESG moving ahead in the face of political madness

Co-author

Feb 2023

New York, NY, USA

Kerry Kennedy and co-author, Sancia Dalley, discuss how ESG can guide investments toward profitable, impactful outcomes that benefit people across the globe.

"How to honor civil rights leaders"

Contributing Writer

Aug 2020

In this piece for The Hill, Kerry Kennedy outlines the need for a range of changes to policies steeped in systemic racism. From aggressive police tactics to mass incarceration and the cash bail system to widespread poverty, urgent changes are needed in the fight for equality and a more just future.

Kerry Kennedy: My Father and Uncle Were Both Murdered on National TV. I Still Have Always Opposed the Death Penalty

Writer

Jul 2020

In this article for Time, Kerry Kennedy discusses the history of capital punishment in the U.S. and places the ethical and moral discussion on it in the context of the current environment and the myriad issues the country is facing.

ONE Magazine

Contributing Writer: "Building a pandemic-free future, and a more just and peaceful world"

Apr 2020

New York, NY, USA

Seeing current times as a time for deep reflection, Kerry talks about how "social justice in a time of social distancing" can build a foundation for a more just and peaceful world, one in which we help disadvantaged students, safeguard women against violence, fight unlawful immigrant detention, and improve the global food supply chain.

Being Catholic Now

Author

Published in 2008, Being Catholic Now is a New York Times bestseller in which some of America's most extraordinary figures reveal what they believe it is to be Catholic.

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Memberships

Sankofa.org

Member

Feb 2019 - Present

New York, NY, USA

Sankofa org is fiscally sponsored by the New World Foundation, a 501c3 public charity. Sankofa org addresses injustice and creates change at multiple levels. In support of our grassroots partners, we enlist artists, performers, and prominent individuals to deliver messages of moral and political consequence.

Awards & Recognition

World Vision

Human Rights Award

2009

Monrovia, US

World Vision is a global Christian, humanitarian organization that partners with children, families & their communities to ensure they reach their full potential. World Vision acts to tackle the causes of poverty & injustice

The Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill

Medal of Honor

2008

New York, US

The Eleanor Roosevelt Medal of Honor is given to a few extraordinary individuals whose far-reaching influence has made the world a better place.

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Speaking Engagements

RFK Compass Investor Virtual Summit

Moderator

2020

Kerry Kennedy, President of RFK Human Rights, served as the moderator for multiple Fireside Chats at the Fall RFK Human Rights Virtual Investor Summit. The RFK Compass program discusses new approaches to investing, enlisting the private sector’s influence in the cause of human rights, good governance, and justice.

A conversation with Kerry Kennedy

Featured Speaker

Nov 2020

The IBA 2020 – Virtually Together Conference provides an exciting new way to bring the IBA and the world’s legal community together in a spirit of shared purpose. The event will offer a substantive and interactive programme filled with creative professional and social networking opportunities.

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Charitable Interests

Giving Tuesday Campaign

Supporter

New York, NY, USA

Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of generosity, social media, and collaboration. Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season and encourages the public to support philanthropic organizations.

Kerry’s Education

Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters

Bay Path University

Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters

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