The American Ethical Union is honored to announce that our 102nd Assembly Keynote Program will include Congressman Jamie Raskin, U.S. Representative for Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, and Adam Jackson, CEO of Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle.

Congressman Jamie Raskin represents Maryland’s 8th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he is a Senior Whip for the Democratic Caucus, the Vice-Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and the Freshman representative to the Democratic Steering & Policy Committee.

Representative Raskin has been a constitutional law professor at American University Washington College of Law for 25 years. He is the bestselling author of Overruling Democracy: the Supreme Court versus the American People and We the Students: Supreme Court Cases for and About Students and founder of the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project, which has sent hundreds of law students into public high schools across the country to teach a course in “constitutional literacy.”

Prior to his time in Congress, Rep. Raskin was a three-term Maryland State Senator and the Senate Majority Whip. In his decade as a State Senator, Raskin won a reputation for building coalitions in Annapolis to deliver landmark policy accomplishments. He successfully introduced and championed marriage equality; abolition of the death penalty; restoration of voting rights to former prisoners; raising the state’s minimum wage; the nation’s first National Popular Vote law; the nation’s first Benefit Corporations Law; Noah’s Law (the compulsory use of ignition interlock devices in the cars of convicted drunk drivers; the Green Maryland Act; the lowering of the state voter registration age to 16; and granting 17-year olds the right to vote in primary elections.

Adam Jackson is the Chief Executive Officer of Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS), a grassroots think-tank located in Baltimore. In his role as CEO of LBS, Mr. Jackson is responsible for the management and oversight of the daily operations of the organization and the execution of its mission to “advance the public policy interest of Black people, in Baltimore, through: youth leadership development, political advocacy, and autonomous intellectual innovation.”

As a West Baltimore native, Mr. Jackson observed how city planning dictates how the City of Baltimore functions politically, economically, and socially. His academic endeavors have helped to increase his knowledge of how to plan long-term, sustainable strategies that will result in a better quality of life for Baltimore City residents.

Mr. Jackson’s life mission centers around three pillars: youth development, community engagement, and political organizing. His volunteer efforts are aimed at connecting young people to public policy and creating transformative change in the city of Baltimore.

Join us for 102nd AEU Assembly. Keynote Program is Saturday, June 10, 2017 at 9:15am. Registration includes full weekend, day tripper, and a la carte options.