Mary Frances Berry

There are few like Mary Frances Berry. For over four decades, she has been one of the most recognized and respected voices in our nation’s civil rights, gender equality, and social justice agendas. Fighting for fairness and justice under four Presidential administrations, she lead the way as Chairperson of the US Civil Rights Commission for many years.

Berry also served as Assistant Secretary for Education in the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare. One of the founders of the Free South Africa Movement, she was the first woman of any race to head a major research university, the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Lauded by many honorary degrees and awards, including one of “America’s Women of the Century,” from the Women’s Hall of Fame, Berry is never one to rest on her laurels. She continues to speak boldly for those who can’t speak for themselves. Her vision of social freedom and equality, her wisdom and candor, assure her place in the future agenda of America.

Now the Professor of American Social Thought at the University of Pennsylvania, she teaches history and law. Her most recent book, And Justice for All: The United States Commission on Civil Rights and the Continuing Struggle for Freedom in America tells the inspirational story of the Civil Rights Movement and the Commission's role in leading us to where we are today.

With fierce determination, Berry never backs down. She educates, transforms, and inspires us all. Her clarion call challenges everyone to stand up, get it, and don’t give up the fight.