Activist

Maya Wiley

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MAYA WILEY

American lawyer, professor, and civil rights activist

Maya Wiley is a nationally recognized racial justice and equity advocate. She is a leader in city government and in spurring democratic change. As Counsel to the Mayor, she delivered for New York City on civil and immigrant rights, women and minority owned business contracts, universal broadband access and more. After leaving City Hall, she held police accountable as Chair of the Civilian Complaint Review Board, and worked to improve public education as a Co-Chair of the School Diversity Task Force. At the New School, where she served as a University Professor, she founded the Digital Equity Laboratory on universal and inclusive broadband.

Maya is a veteran of both the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and the ACLU, was a former Legal Analyst for NBC News and MSNBC — where she argued against Trump’s attacks on our civil liberties and democratic norms — and was the founder and president of the Center for Social Inclusion. Maya was also Senior Advisor on Race and Poverty at the Open Society Foundations, the largest funder of human rights work the world over.

Maya Wiley participated in The Common Good New York City Mayoral Candidate Speaker Series With Maya Wiley, on March 25 2021.

Al Sharpton

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AL SHARPTON

American Civil Rights Activist

Reverend Al Sharpton, is an internationally renowned civil rights leader, Baptist minister, politician, talk show host, and founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), which has more than 100 chapters across the country. Reverend Sharpton is also the host of “PoliticsNation” on MSNBC; a nationally syndicated daily radio show “Keepin’ It Real”; and a nationally broadcast radio show on Sunday titled, “The Hour of Power.”

A disciple of the teachings of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Reverend Sharpton has been at the forefront of the modern civil rights movement for nearly half of a century. He has championed police reform and accountability, calling for the elimination of unjust policies like “Stop-and-Frisk.” Reverend Sharpton also has a brief history of advocating for voting rights, equity in education and healthcare, LGBTQ rights. Sharpton’s advocacy efforts and “tell it like it is” personality led to him being hailed as a “champion for the downtrodden" by former and first African American President Barack Obama.

Reverend Al Sharpton participated in The Civil Rights Movement with Reverend Al Sharpton, on March 18 2021.

Moderated by past speaker Jill Iscol and, new to The Common Good, Ralph Dawson.

Marianne Williamson

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Marianne Williamson

Author, Politician & Spiritual Leader

Marianne Williamson is an accomplished author, activist and spiritual leader who formerly pursued the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States. Her campaign focused on the search for higher wisdom where she wanted to create a new political possibility in America — one where citizens awaken, and democracy could once more become a thing about which we can all feel proud.

Ms. Williamson has published 12 books throughout her career.  Of these 12 books, 7 have made the New York Times bestseller list while four have reached #1 bestselling status.  Some of her works include A Return to Love, A Year of Miracles, The Law of Divine Compensation and Politics of Love.

  On top of her successful writing, Ms. Williamson has a long career in activism.  In 1989, she founded Project Angel Food which has served over 11 million meals to homebound individuals affected by the AIDS disease in the Los Angeles area. Project Angel Food now serves 1,200 meals a day to people. Ms.Williamson was honored at this year’s Angel Awards and had celebrated its 25th anniversary by honoring their founding team.

Ms. Williamson headlined a Meet & Greet on October 18, 2019.  

Twitter: @marwilliamson

Mark Ruffalo

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Mark Ruffalo

Actor, activist

Mark Ruffalo is an environmental activist and actor known for his portrayal of Bruce Banner/the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with The Avengers.

He starred in and was an executive producer of the 2014 television drama film The Normal Heart, for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie (as a producer) and he won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor in a TV Movie. The same year, he portrayed Dave Schultz in Foxcatcher, for which he was nominated for several awards, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 2015, he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Infinitely Polar Bear and also received BAFTA and Academy Award nominations for his role in the drama Spotlight.

As an environmental activist, Ruffalo has focused his efforts on combating fracking in New York state. Receiving an environmental award at Dickinson College in early 2015, Ruffalo notably told graduates, "I'm here to tell you that 'activist' is not a dirty word." Living that message, Ruffalo founded the Solutions Project, which pushes for 100 percent renewable energy, and is active with Water Defense, a group dedicated to clean water initiatives.

Ruffalo spoke at The Common Good on the Clean Energy and the Water Defense Fund in 2012.

Twitter: @MarkRuffalo

Bernard-Henri Lévy

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Bernard-Henri Lévy

French philosopher, activist, filmmaker, writer

Bernard-Henri Lévy is a philosopher, activist, and filmmaker, and one of the most esteemed and bestselling writers in Europe. Lévy has advised presidents since François Mitterand and has served on diplomatic missions for the French government. The Guardian noted that he is “accorded the kind of adulation in France that most countries reserve for their rock stars.”

After starting his career as a war reporter for Combat — the legendary newspaper founded by Albert Camus during the Nazi occupation of France — Lévy co-founded the New Philosophers group. He has written for Le Point, El Pais, Corriere de la Sera, The WorldPost, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, among others. Lévy gained renown for his documentary film about the Bosnian conflict, Bosna! (1994). His films include the documentaries The Oath of Tobruk, Peshmerga and most recently, The Battle of Mosul.   

He is the author of more than 30 books, including works of philosophy, fiction, and biography. Lévy’s 1977 book, Barbarism with a Human Face, was a controversial critique of the European left’s complicity with totalitarianism. His most recent book, The Genius of Judaism, was published in January 2017 by Random House. His New York Times Bestsellers include American Vertigo, Barbarism with a Human Face, and Who Killed Daniel Pearl?

Lévy spoke at The Common Good in 2017: Special Private Screening and Conversation on "The Battle of Mosul" and we are excited to have him back as a speaker at our upcoming event: Athens Democracy Forum.

Twitter: @BHL

Lilly Ledbetter

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Lilly Ledbetter

Gender equality activist

Lilly Ledbetter began her professional life at Goodyear. Nineteen years after her first day at Goodyear, Lilly received an anonymous note revealing that she was making thousands less per year than the men in her position. She filed a sex discrimination case against Goodyear, which she won—and then lost on appeal. Over the next eight years, her case made it all the way to the Supreme Court, where she lost again. The court ruled that she should have filed suit within 180 days of her first unequal paycheck, despite the fact that she had no way of knowing that she was being paid unfairly all those years. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg strongly disagreed with the decision and read her dissent from the bench. Ledbetter was not discouraged.

She became the namesake of Barack Obama's first official piece of legislation as president, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. Today, she is a tireless advocate for change, traveling the country to urge women and minorities to claim their civil rights. 

Ledbetter was honored with the American Spirit Award for Citizen Activism at The Common Good Forum & The American Spirit Awards 2014.

Twitter: @Lilly_Ledbetter

Jenny McCarthy

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Jenny McCarthy

Actress, radio & television host, activist

Jenny McCarthy is a model, TV host, actress, screenwriter, and author. When her son Evan was diagnosed with autism, Jenny took on another role, as an advocate in the fight against autism.

McCarthy served as a spokesperson for Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) from June 2007 until October 2008. She participated in fundraisers, online chats, and other activities for the non-profit organization to help families affected by autism spectrum disorders. Her first fundraiser for TACA, Ante Up for Autism, was held on October 20, 2007, in Irvine, California.  She is a prominent spokesperson and activist for the Generation Rescue foundation, and serves on its Board of Directors.

McCarthy was hosted by The Common Good in 2010 for a Meet & Greet.

Twitter: @JennyMcCarthy