Anthony Romero
Encyclopedia
Anthony D. Romero is the American
executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union
.
on July 9, 1965 to Puerto Rican parents Demetrio and Coralie Romero. He was raised in the Bronx.
's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
in 1987 and from Stanford University Law School, and is a member of the New York Bar. He was a Dinkelspiel Scholar at Stanford University
, a Cane Scholar at Princeton, and a National Hispanic Scholar at both institutions.
. He is the first openly gay
man and the first Hispanic
director of the civil liberties
institution. In his time as the executive director he has nearly doubled the organization's budget and increased its staff by a similar amount.
In his capacity as ACLU head, he has been involved in opposition to several policies taken under the rubric of the Bush administration
's 'War on Terror
'. Referring to the August 17, 2006 federal court declaration that the "Terrorist Surveillance Program" was unconstitutional, Romero called the court's opinion "another nail in the coffin in the Bush administration's legal strategy in the War on Terror
".
s 25 Most Influential Hispanics. Additionally, TIME has called him "The Champion of Civil Rights."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
.
Early life
Romero was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on July 9, 1965 to Puerto Rican parents Demetrio and Coralie Romero. He was raised in the Bronx.
Education
Romero was the first member of his family to graduate high school. He graduated from Princeton UniversityPrinceton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs is a professional public policy school at Princeton University. The school has granted undergraduate A.B. degrees since 1930 and graduate degrees since 1948...
in 1987 and from Stanford University Law School, and is a member of the New York Bar. He was a Dinkelspiel Scholar at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, a Cane Scholar at Princeton, and a National Hispanic Scholar at both institutions.
American Civil Liberties Union
Anthony Romero became executive director in September 2001, a week before the September 11, 2001 attacksSeptember 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. He is the first openly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
man and the first Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
director of the civil liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
institution. In his time as the executive director he has nearly doubled the organization's budget and increased its staff by a similar amount.
In his capacity as ACLU head, he has been involved in opposition to several policies taken under the rubric of the Bush administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
's 'War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
'. Referring to the August 17, 2006 federal court declaration that the "Terrorist Surveillance Program" was unconstitutional, Romero called the court's opinion "another nail in the coffin in the Bush administration's legal strategy in the War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
".
Works authored by Romero
- In Defense of Our America: The Fight for Civil Liberties in the Age of Terror. William Morrow, 2007. ISBN 0-06-114256-5.
Recognition
In 2005, he was named one of TIME MagazineTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
s 25 Most Influential Hispanics. Additionally, TIME has called him "The Champion of Civil Rights."
External links
- ACLU Biography
- PBS Biography
- Time - Anthony Romero
- NNDB Profile
- Hispanic Magazine - Driven By Liberties
- Freedom to Backstab: Anthony Romero Defends his Record as Head of the ACLU - New York Magazine, February 19, 2007
- ACLU v. ACLU - The Nation, February 5, 2007