Person

Jonathan Kozol

The 1989 Robert F. Kennedy Book Award was presented to Neil Sheehan for A Bright Shining Lie and Jonathan Kozol for Rachel and Her Children. Rachel and Her Children is based on the months Kozal spent among America’s homeless, and describes the desperate and often nightmarish conditions of the nation’s shelters.

Jonathan Kozol has received numerous literary awards and honors for his writing. He has been working with children in inner-city schools for nearly fifty years. His newest book is The Theft of Memory: Losing My Father, One Day at a Time.

New year, new us. Same mission.

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights is rebranding to honor the legacy of our founder and hero, Mrs. Ethel Skakel Kennedy. From now on, we will proudly be known as the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center

While our name is changing, our mission and work remain the same. We will continue to fight injustice, advance human rights, and hold governments accountable around the world in 2026 and beyond.