Crossing the River Jordan Award

Previous Winners

NAME (2004)
Elaine R. Jones, former president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (LDF), has dedicated her life to fighting for equal rights and justice for people of color, women, and the poor. In 1993, after two decades as a civil rights activist and litigator, Ms. Jones became the first woman to head the LDF. Throughout her career, she has played a key role in a number of landmark cases, including the 1972 Supreme Court case Furman v. Georgia, which abolished the death penalty in 37 states. As a legislative advocate for the LDF, Jones helped secure passage of legislative milestones such as the Voting Rights Act Amendment of 1982, the Fair Housing Act of 1988, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1988, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991. The recipient of numerous awards and honors, she has been recognized by the National Bar Association, the National Woman’s Law Center, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Virginia State Conference NAACP for her outstanding contributions. In 2000, President Bill Clinton presented her with the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award. Ms. Jones is a graduate of Howard University and the University of Virginia School of Law.