Global human rights activist, scholar, author and Birmingham native Dr. Angela Y. Davis will receive the Fred Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award, the highest award given by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI), on June 19.

Early last year, the BCRI created an international outcry saying it was rescinding the award from Davis.

Her work as an educator – both at the university level and in the larger public sphere – has always emphasized the importance of building communities united in the struggle for economic, racial and gender justice.

Professor Davis’ papers were acquired by Harvard University’s Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library earlier this year.

Established by the BCRI Board of Directors in 2002, the Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award serves as a tribute to the leadership and courage of Shuttlesworth throughout the course of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement.