Gathering Voices: Eric Ward, “In many ways we are the Bayard Rustin generation.”

Eric Ward is executive director of the Western States Center, located in Portland, Oregon. A nationally-recognized expert on the relationship between authoritarian movements, hate violence, and preserving inclusive democracy, Eric brings over 30 years of leadership in community organizing and philanthropy to Western States Center and his roles as senior fellow with Southern Poverty Law Center and Race Forward. Since Eric took the helm in 2017, Western States Center has become a national hub for innovative responses to white nationalism, anti-semitism, and structural inequality, towards a world where everyone can live, love, work, and worship free from bigotry and fear.