Eric K. Ward

Eric K. Ward is a civil rights leader and writer who works on hate violence, white nationalism, and inclusive democracy. He is Executive Director and Senior Fellow of Western States Center and received the 2021 Civil Courage Prize. He has also written for and appeared in programs of Oregon Humanities, including a 2020 essay on the urban-rural divide. His 2020 Oregon Humanities essay describes moving from Southern California to Eugene, Oregon, in 1986 and working alongside a conservative white employer. He describes the experience as a lesson in shared values across political lines.