Person

Peniel E. Joseph

The 2023 Book Award winner was “The Third Reconstruction: America’s Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty-First Century” by historian Peniel Joseph. The book offers a powerful interpretation of recent history, arguing that the racial reckoning of 2020 marked the climax of a Third Reconstruction: a new struggle for citizenship and dignity for Black Americans, just as momentous as the movements that arose after the Civil War and during the civil rights era.

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.