Damien Granderson is a lawyer and author. He has written extensively about US law for major news media outlets, including The Huffington Post, Salon, and Slate. He received his B. A in Government from Harvard University and J.D. degree from Yale Law School. In 2010, the Council on Social Development selected him to be a “Young Champion of Change.”
Damien’s philosophy regarding the law: “It should be separate from politics.” Damien Granderson believes the law protects all people equally without regard for race or economic standing. In other words: “The Law is blind. It cannot see color.”
The successful attorney and Top Rising Star Damien Granderson has written extensively on race relations, the law, criminal justice, and social issues. His books include Hate Crimes: The Law and Racial Violence in America Harvard University Press, 2002. His writing has appeared in the New Yorker and The Atlantic Monthly. His interest in the law extends to other areas, including:
Criminal sentencing, state-based deficits, poverty, social disparity, social security reform, and the War on Drugs as Damien Granderson explains. He is a proponent of drug addiction treatment over incarceration. He says his work is about “first principles.” He believes we must start with justice because racism must be confronted before we can accomplish anything else. Damien Granderson:
“Ours is a society that suffers from racism and prejudice. We will see great progress in solving societal problems when we address those two issues. We can’t just let people get away with murder.”
Current Position
2017–Present: Co-Chair, National Black Justice Coalition
2012: Damien Granderson is the Co-Founder and Board Member, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle , Community Development Corporation, Chicago IL