Danny Glover on Creating a "Culture of Sustainable Activism"

"The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly," says the actor and activist — who'll be honored at the NAACP Image Awards along with Chairman's Award recipient William Lucy — as he discusses how his upbringing inspired his fight for economic justice and education.

Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular.

The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields.

How did your upbringing shape your activism?

For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important.

When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable?

Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role.

You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take?

The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in.

Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island?

Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin.

What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today?

We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism.

***

AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT

William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela

For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama.

Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa.

"I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America."

This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields.[ How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields.[ How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields.[ How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the international secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees for nearly 40 years, helping union grow from 200,000 to more than 1.4 million members. In that time, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and led a fundraising effort to bring Nelson Mandela on a U.S. tour after the anti-apartheid revolutionary was freed from his 27-year imprisonment in South Africa. "I am inspired by William Lucy's activism on a number of civil and human rights issues," stated Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, "and, particulary, that he has not forgotten what it is like to be a person of color in America." This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Danny Glover has a long history with the NAACP. In fact, his parents, who were postal workers and raised him in San Francisco, were active members of their local chapter. Glover, 71, known for such films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has carried on and expanded his parents' work, spending decades involved with community and labor activism, advocating for economic justice and education, in particular. The actor — whose recent work includes exec producing the Oscar shortlisted crime documentary Strong Island as well as starring in Proud Mary with Taraji P. Henson and the upcoming Old Man & The Gun with Robert Redford — will be honored with the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards, which highlight the work of people of color in film, TV and other fields. How did your upbringing shape your activism? For me growing up, it was quite fortuitous that everything that was happening in the civil rights movement was in some sense a part of my family discourse. [My parents] celebrated those moments, and since my mother is from the Deep South — a small town called Louisville, Georgia — for me, the civil rights movements played out both in the South and in my own city. It was a key period in my maturation as a child in understanding the importance of things that were important. When you look back on your career, is there a role that was especially memorable? Places in the Heart, which was my first major role. It's the film that's dedicated to my mother, who passed away on the day, Aug. 22 [in 1983], that I was told I received the role. You stay busy when it comes to acting. How do you decide what roles to take? The work that's done with Louverture Films [Glover's production company] has opened my idea of the possibility of film. We've explored topics like the war on drugs in The House I Live In and climate change in This Changes Everything. The projects that I do, as an actor, are generated from the work that's available, and I'm fortunate to be able to continue to work. The fact is, whatever my activity as a citizen working with unions or other work, I'm still an actor, and I love acting as much as I loved it from the first moment I decided it was the profession I wanted to be in. Why were you drawn to executive producing Strong Island? Yance Ford's parents were products of the Old South but also products of the new segregation that takes place on Long Island. With this resegregation that happens, you have these enclaves — white enclaves and black enclaves. You can see that happening in cities even today. Strong Island gives us this sense of this other world that they have encountered. Then the death of Yance's brother unravels the family. For him to make this personal investigation to tell this story of who his brother was, he did a brilliant job. "What is a reasonable threat?" is one of the questions he brings up — that [his brother] represents a threat because he's black. Historically, we've always represented a threat because of the color of our skin. What advice would you give to young activists who may be experiencing fear or frustration today? We have to create a culture of sustainable activism. The dynamics in our world are changing rapidly, and new information is in our face all the time. We have new ways of looking at the world. For the young people who will inhabit this planet, it's essential that we create a culture of sustainable activism. *** AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT William Lucy has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela For his decades of work as a labor organizer and justice advocate, William Lucy will be honored with the NAACP's Chariman's Award, which recongizes those who "demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change." Previous recipients have included Bono, former Vice President Al Gore and then-Sen. Barack Obama. Lucy served as the