Nov. 9, 2015
Wade Henderson Stepping Down from Leadership Conference Next Year
Announcement stresses need for ‘generational shift’ in civil rights leadership
By Hazel Trice Edney
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Wade Henderson, nationally known for his searing, but smooth speaking style as president/CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, says he will step down at the end of 2016 after 20 years of leadership.
“This announcement is just one step on a very long path in ensuring the long-term health, integrity and effectiveness of The Leadership Conference and its coalition of more than 200 civil rights groups,” said Henderson. “There’s an unmistakable generational transition happening in the civil and human rights movement. The day-to-day work of civil rights advocacy is extremely important, but on its own, is not enough. Leaders also have the responsibility to cultivate, encourage and make paths for the next generation to lead and to thrive.”
Henderson, 67, is preparing to leave the organization amidst several years of intense youth-led civil rights activity on the national stage and highly covered by national and social media.
Last week’s announcement placed heavy emphasis on the need to transition to younger leadership. The release described Henderson’s pending departure as another step in a “multi-year plan to prepare the organization for a generational shift in civil and human rights leadership.”
Previous steps have included “a restructuring of the organization’s board, a strengthening of its staff capacity, improved fundraising and fiscal controls, and a renewed emphasis on civil rights as human rights.”
Henderson joined the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights in 1996 after serving as Washington Bureau chief of the NAACP and associate director of the ACLU. A statement said that under his leadership, the coalition has grown from 180 to more than 200 member organizations and has grown from a staff of 7 to 45.
High profiled leaders from multiple segments of the civil and human rights communities applauded Henderson’s leadership upon last week’s news of his pending departure in a statement released by the Leadership Conference.
“Wade has led The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights for the last two decades with integrity, honor, and grace,” said former Attorney General Eric Holder. “He has changed our nation—and made it better. Wade is an exceptional leader, a true champion of the voiceless, and a good friend. This announcement truly marks the end of an era, but we are all grateful that he has agreed to stay on to help shepherd The Leadership Conference through this transition, demonstrating his trademark generosity of spirit and commitment.”
Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said, “Just watching him lead our coalition, manage conflict and keep our civil right troops motivated and focused has been inspiring. Wade manages to combine optimism with a strong streak of pragmatism. He knows what should be done and he also knows what can be done.”
U. S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) described him as “a reliable, dependable ally in the struggle for both civil and human rights. He has been a champion for an increase in the minimum wage, equal compensation for women, protecting the environment, and against voting discrimination. His commitment, dedication, and leadership will be missed, not just on Capitol Hill but around the nation.”
Henderson is credited with leading the non-partisan Conference through “the passage of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, the Voting Rights Act reauthorization of 2006, the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, and the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010.”
He also advocated for “the historic confirmations of Justice Sonia Sotomayor and former Attorney General Eric Holder in 2009, the first director of the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau Richard Cordray in 2012, Attorney General Loretta Lynch in 2015, and countless federal judges.”
Over the next year, a national search will be conducted for new leadership of The Leadership Conference and its sister organization, The Leadership Conference Education Fund.
Meanwhile, Henderson continues to work with Congress on issues of criminal justice reform and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. He also continues to push for police body camera programs and the restoration of the Voting Rights Act.
“You want to leave at the top of your game,” Henderson said. “The landscape of Washington has clearly changed, but The Leadership Conference has adapted and evolved, and some of its best work is taking place right now.”