Anthony D. Romero

Anthony D. Romero was born on July 9, 1965. He is an American lawyer. He works as the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. He started this job in 2001. He was the first Latino and openly gay person to hold this important job. His work helps protect the rights and freedoms of all people.

Early life and education

Anthony D. Romero was born on July 9, 1965, in the Bronx, New York City. His parents, Demetrio and Coralie Romero, were from Puerto Rico. He grew up in a public housing project and was the oldest child. His father worked at a big hotel but faced difficulties because he didn’t speak English well. With help from a lawyer from his labor union, his father won a case that helped him get better work. This allowed the family to move to suburban New Jersey, where Anthony finished high school.

He was the first in his family to graduate from high school. He then went to Princeton University and earned a degree in 1987. Afterward, he attended Stanford Law School and received his law degree in 1990. He was recognized for his achievements with several scholarships and became a member of the New York bar.

Early career

Anthony D. Romero started his career at the Rockefeller Foundation, where he helped with important work in civil rights. In 1992, he joined the Ford Foundation as a program officer for civil rights and social justice. He was later promoted to director, becoming one of the youngest directors in the foundation’s history. In this role, he managed about $90 million in grants for projects supporting civil rights, human rights, and peace efforts. He also started new programs to advance affirmative action, voting rights, immigrants' rights, women's rights, reproductive freedom, and LGBT rights.

American Civil Liberties Union

Anthony Romero became the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in September 2001, just before the September 11, 2001, attacks. He was the first person who was openly gay and the first Hispanic person to hold this important job.

After the attacks, Romero started a campaign called "Keep America Safe and Free" to protect important freedoms in the United States during difficult times. Under his leadership, the ACLU worked hard to defend people's rights. They won court cases, helped uncover important information, and supported efforts to protect basic freedoms. Romero also helped the ACLU grow, allowing it to take on more work in areas like fairness for all people, religious freedom, privacy, and equal rights.

Criticisms

Anthony D. Romero faced some criticism during his time with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Some leaders questioned his honesty and how he handled work matters.

In 2002, Romero settled a problem with the New York Attorney General. There was a mistake on the ACLU website, and though another company caused it, Romero was asked to tell the ACLU board about the settlement within 30 days. He waited six months and gave unclear reasons for the delay.

In 2004, Romero signed two important agreements without getting approval from the larger ACLU leadership. One was a partnership with a government program. This decision caused the ACLU to lose about $500,000 because the leadership did not approve of the partnership.

In 2011, Romero was charged with a driving-related offense after police saw him driving unsafely. News of this charge was not shared publicly right away, which led to questions from some people.

Works authored by Romero

Anthony D. Romero wrote a book called In Defense of Our America: The Fight for Civil Liberties in the Age of Terror. The book came out in 2007. It was published by William Morrow.

Recognition

Anthony D. Romero has received many important awards. In 2005, he was chosen as one of Time magazine's 25 Most Influential Hispanics. In 2009, he got the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. He also won the "Maggie" Award in 2011, which is a big honor from the Planned Parenthood Federation. He was also in an HBO documentary called The Latino List. In 2020, he received the Woodrow Wilson Award from Princeton University.