Desmond Meade is executive director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, an organization committed to ending the disenfranchisement of and discrimination against people with convictions. In 2018, Meade led the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition to a historic victory with the passage of Amendment 4, which allowed an estimated 1.4 million Floridians to register to vote. Formerly homeless, Meade is now the chair of Floridians for a Fair Democracy, a MacArthur Fellow, and a graduate of Florida International University College of Law. The Open Society Justice Rising Awards are an investment in Black leaders working towards racial justice and equality in the United States. The 16 awardees from across the country are being recognized for their long-term contributions to advancing change in their communities, tireless commitment to civil rights, and capacity to inspire, innovate, and mobilize people despite considerable odds. The Open Society Justice Rising Awards are part of a larger investment in racial justice by the Open Society Foundations. Learn more about the awards at https://www.OpenSocietyJusticeRising.org/ Learn more about the Open Society Foundations at https://www.OpenSocietyFoundations.org/