Heather McGhee

Each year we present the Rabbi Robert J. Marx Award for Social Justice to a leader who embodies the values JCUA founder Rabbi Marx lives and teaches. We are thrilled to announce we are presenting this year’s award to Heather McGhee — author, political strategist, changemaker, and leading voice for social justice.

A native Chicagoan, Heather designs and promotes solutions to inequality and injustice. She spent two decades building the non-partisan "think and do" tank Demos, serving four years as president. She is an influential voice in the media and regularly appears on NBC’s Meet the Press and MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Deadline White House and All In. She has published her opinions, writing and research in the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Politico, National Public Radio, and more.

Heather’s new book, "The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together" marshals economic and sociological research to paint an irrefutable story of racism’s costs, and at the heart of the book are humble stories of people yearning to be part of a better America.

We are delighted to honor Heather for her leadership and work to move us toward the future we need and deserve. JCUA’s movement for racial and economic justice relies on the guidance from prophetic voices like Heather’s, and we can’t wait to hear from her at Acts of Change.