Anthony D. Romero

Anthony D. Romero was born on July 9, 1965. He is an American lawyer who 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 position. His work focuses on protecting 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, to Puerto Rican parents named Demetrio and Coralie Romero. He grew up in a public housing project and was the oldest in his family. His father worked at a big hotel but was often not offered better jobs because he did not speak English well. With help from a lawyer from his labor union, his father won a case that allowed him to find better work. This helped the family move to suburban New Jersey, where Anthony finished high school.

Romero was the first in his family to graduate from high school. He went to Princeton University and earned a degree in 1987. Later, 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 began his career at the Rockefeller Foundation, where he helped guide important work in civil rights. In 1992, he joined the Ford Foundation as a program officer focusing on 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 oversaw 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

During his time with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Anthony D. Romero faced criticism from some leaders in the organization. They questioned his honesty and integrity in how he handled work matters and the organization's activities.

In 2002, Romero agreed to a settlement with the New York Attorney General after a mistake was found on the ACLU website. Though another company caused the mistake, Romero was asked to share details of the settlement with the ACLU board within 30 days. However, he waited six months to share this information and gave unclear reasons for the delay.

In 2004, Romero also signed two important agreements without getting approval from the larger ACLU leadership. One was a partnership with a government program allowing federal employees to support charities. This decision led to the ACLU losing about $500,000 because the leadership disapproved of the partnership.

In 2011, Romero was charged with a driving-related offense after being seen driving unsafe by police. News of this charge was not shared publicly right away, leading to questions from some people about why it took so long to become public.

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. It was published in 2007 by William Morrow.

Recognition

Anthony D. Romero has been honored with many important awards. In 2005, he was chosen as one of Time magazine's 25 Most Influential Hispanics. In 2009, he received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement, presented by Archbishop Desmond Tutu at a ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa.

He also received the "Maggie" Award in 2011, which is the highest honor given by the Planned Parenthood Federation. Romero was featured in an HBO documentary called The Latino List, and in 2020, he was given the Woodrow Wilson Award from Princeton University.