Karen Baynes-Dunning Elected as Chair of the SPLC Board of Directors

November 7, 2023

First Woman and Black Woman to Serve as Chair

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Today, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) announced that Karen Baynes-Dunning was elected by the SPLC Board of Directors as chair of the board. Baynes-Dunning, who first joined the board in October 2017, has played a crucial role in the organization’s reimagining as a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond.

The Board of Directors also elected Emery Wright as vice chair. Wright, executive director of Project South, an Atlanta-based movement-building organization, has served on the SPLC’s Board of Directors since October 2020.

“I am delighted to have Karen and Emery, both deeply rooted in the South, leading our Board of Directors as the SPLC enters a new era of community-centered work organizing, innovating, and transforming our region and the nation,” said Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center. “They are both tireless advocates for racial justice with a clear vision for our efforts to dismantle white supremacy, protect our democracy and advance the civil rights of all people. We look forward to their new leadership roles on the board.”

https://www.splcenter.org/presscenter/karen-baynes-dunning-elected-chair-splc-board-directors/