LBJ Foundation Honors Rep. James Clyburn and Former Attorney General Eric Holder with LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The LBJ Foundation tomorrow will award its most prestigious prize, the LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award, to Congressman James Clyburn and former Attorney General Eric Holder, two remarkable public servants who epitomize LBJ's legacy and honor his dream for the American people.

"Through decades of unparalleled leadership, Congressman Clyburn and Attorney General Holder have distinguished themselves as great protectors of Americans' civil liberties. They embody the beliefs that President Johnson held dear—that our mission in public service is to right wrongs, to do justice and to serve man," said Ben Barnes, Vice Chairman of the LBJ Foundation.

The LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award will be held Wednesday, Nov. 18th at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington. PBS anchor and Managing Editor Gwen Ifill will serve as Master of Ceremonies, and the awards will be presented by the Honorable Orrin Hatch and the Honorable John Lewis. The Honorable Nancy Pelosi also will make remarks.

The Honorable James Clyburn
Congressman James Clyburn came to Congress in 1993 and during his eleven-term tenure has quickly risen through the ranks of leadership to be the third-ranking Democrat in the House. As a national leader, he has worked to respond to the needs of America's diverse communities through his work on civil rights and the Voter Empowerment Act. He has sought to drive new efforts to increase voter participation 50 years after the enactment of the Voting Rights Act.

James Clyburn has a tireless passion for justice and the bridging of racial and ethnic divides. His commitment to civil rights is longstanding, having worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as the leader of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and helped organize many civil rights marches and demonstrations as a student leader at South Carolina State College. President Barack Obama has said of Congressman Clyburn that he is "one of a handful of people, who when they speak, the entire Congress listens." His legacy as a supporter and protector of civil rights and the Great Society ensures his place as a most worthy recipient of the LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award.

The Honorable Eric Holder
Eric Holder is an extraordinary public servant with unparalleled achievements. Throughout his long and distinguished career, Eric Holder defended some of the most influential legislation including Voting Rights, Immigration Law, and the development of the "Smart on Crime Initiative" which has impacted America's lower-income, minority communities. Eric Holder honorably served at the Department of Justice under six U.S. Presidents, including Presidents Reagan, Clinton, Bush and Obama. Appointed in 2009, Eric Holder is our first African-American Attorney General and one of the longest-serving in U.S. history. President Obama said, "I chose him to serve as Attorney General because he believes, as I do, that justice is not just an abstract theory. It's a living and breathing principle." This is the essence of Eric Holder's work and his legacy.  Deeply committed to his work with civil rights and equal opportunity for all, Eric Holder has shown America that his service is not only a testament to the leadership of our country, but also to the symbol that is the LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award.

LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award
The LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award honors the vision of Lyndon Baines Johnson's presidency and the transformative laws that gave it life: a belief that every citizen should share in the benefits and blessings of the privileges and protections that lie at the heart of the American dream.  President Johnson envisioned, and devoted his life to creating, a nation of justice and liberty, where everyone had the opportunity to rise, and those in need would not fail.  His legislative achievements shaped the next half century of our national history, and his legacy endures to benefit future generations of Americans – the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Fair Housing Act of 1968, Head Start, Medicare, Medicaid, Job Corps, the Clean Air Act, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Humanities, and many more. The LBJ Foundation created the Award to recognize and honor individuals who, in their own unique way, have expanded the opportunities for all of our citizens and carried forward the legacy of President Johnson. Previous recipients include President George H. W. Bush, Rep. John Lewis, Rep. John Dingell and Sen. Carl Levin.

LBJ Foundation
The LBJ Foundation is a non-profit organization created by President and Mrs. Johnson to support the LBJ Presidential Library and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. The Foundation provides support to the Library that enhances quality programming, expands educational outreach and exhibits, and administers grants for researchers and scholars. The Foundation supports the LBJ School in the outstanding education that it provides its graduate students in public policy and governmental affairs, community outreach, and the exploration of global initiatives. One looks to the past and the other to the future, providing an ongoing legacy for President Johnson's vision for our nation. www.lbjlibrary.org/page/foundation

LBJ School of Public Affairs Washington Center
The LBJ School of Public Affairs, among the top graduate schools in the nation, is creating the LBJ Washington Center to prepare a new generation of national leaders. The Center will provide a platform for elevating the LBJ School and The University of Texas in policy discourse at the national level.  www.utexas.edu/lbj/washington 

SOURCE LBJ Foundation