LOS ANGELES (November 13, 2026) — The ACLU of Southern California announced today that Academy AwardⓇ-nominated filmmaker, writer and producer Ava DuVernay has been selected as the honoree for this year’s ACLU SoCal Bill of Rights Awards, recognizing her extraordinary contributions to advancing civil rights, civil liberties and social justice through storytelling.
DuVernay will be celebrated on Wednesday, December 9, at a private event at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles on the eve of Human Rights Day.
“Ava has helped millions engage with the ongoing work of protecting civil rights, expanding opportunity and strengthening democratic participation. It is especially fitting that we will honor Ava on the eve of Human Rights Day,” said Chandra Bhatnagar, executive director of the ACLU SoCal. “For more than a decade, her eye-opening work has challenged audiences to confront injustice while deepening public understanding of the constitutional principles that underpin our democracy.”
The evening will feature a special screening of DuVernay’s new Netflix documentary, “14th,” followed by a conversation with the filmmaker and a private reception.
“14th” examines the history and enduring significance of the Fourteenth Amendment, tracing how its guarantees of citizenship, equal protection and due process continue to shape U.S. democracy while facing renewed challenges in the present day. Through interviews with historians, legal scholars, elected leaders, advocates and cultural commentators, the film connects contemporary debates over civil rights, immigration, voting rights and government power to the constitutional amendment.
Featured in the documentary are 14th Amendment Center Founder Sherrilyn Ifill, ACLU President Deborah Archer, ACLU Deputy Executive Director for Program, Strategy and Culture Yasmin Cader and ACLU SoCal Senior Policy Counsel and Organizer Andrés Dae Keun Kwon, California Senator Alex Padilla, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Political Strategist Steve Schmidt, Ambassador Jeff Flake, New York Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Stacey Abrams, Van Lathan, Dr. Donald T. Critchlow, Dr. David Blight, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, UC Irvine Professor of Law Robert Chang, TikTok/YouTube influencer Dean Withers, among many other voices from across law, government, academia and civic life.
For decades, the ACLU SoCal Bill of Rights Awards has brought together civil rights leaders, advocates, artists and community members to celebrate individuals whose work advances freedom, equality, justice and democratic participation.
“To be recognized by the ACLU of Southern California, here in the city that raised me, is a deep honor. From ‘13th’ to ‘14th’ and beyond, I have been attracted to stories that live at the heart of our democracy’s unfinished work,” said DuVernay. “I accept this honor as a reminder that the rights we cherish require more than our admiration. They require our participation. And I intend to keep giving mine.”
An OscarⓇ-nominated, EmmyⓇ and BAFTA award-winning filmmaker and founder of ARRAY, Ava DuVernay is known for groundbreaking projects including Selma, 13th, When They See Us, Origin and A Wrinkle in Time. Her latest documentary, “14th,” explores the unfinished struggle to define and defend equality in America through the lens of the Fourteenth Amendment and its continuing impact on the nation’s civic life.
Media Contacts:
ACLU SoCal Communications & Media Advocacy, 213-977-5252, communications@aclusocal.org; Lynn Trono, 202-820-0702, lynn@tronopr.com
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