BIRMINGHAM – Alabama Power Company, in honor of Black History Month, will host an invitation-only luncheon featuring a keynote address by Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 11:30 a.m. The event, “Making History Now,” is part of the company’s Power of Leadership series.

Founded in 1995, EJI is a private, nonprofit organization providing legal representation to poverty-stricken prisoners and defendants who have been denied fair and just treatment in the legal system. 

“Bryan Stevenson embodies African-American leaders who strive daily to move people forward despite their monetary circumstances and to fight for the American value of equal justice for all,” said John Hudson, vice president of Public Relations and Charitable Giving for Alabama Power. “As a company committed to advancing the communities we serve and bringing positive change to our state, we are honored to provide Mr. Stevenson with a local platform to deliver his powerful message.”

WHAT:              Alabama Power Company’s “Making History Now” Black History Month

Luncheon, featuring Bryan Stevenson of Montgomery’s Equal Justice Initiative

WHEN:             Tuesday, Feb. 25

                        11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

WHERE:           Alabama Power Company

                        600 18^th St. N.

                        Birmingham, AL 35203

DETAILS:         Media interviews will be available with Stevenson from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. Arriving media should check in at the front desk and ask for Keisa Sharpe, who will direct contacts to the appropriate interview area. Cameras and photography will also be allowed inside the 11:30 a.m. event.

Stevenson’s speech will be made available following his presentation on AlabamaPower.com and MontgomeryAdvertiser.com.

About Bryan Stevenson

Stevenson has been featured in the Washington Post, the New York Times, People, LIFE and on popular broadcast television shows, such as “Nightline,” “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report” and “60 Minutes.” Since graduating from Harvard Law School and the Harvard School of Government, he has assisted in securing relief for dozens of condemned prisoners, advocated for poor people and developed community-based reform litigation aimed at improving the administration of criminal justice. In addition to his role with EJI – which he founded in 1995 – he is on the law faculty at New York University School of Law.

Stevenson was co-recipient of the 2009 Gruber Prize for Justice, presented to individuals or organizations for contributions that advanced the cause of justice as delivered through the legal system. In 2010, the NAACP honored Stevenson with the William Robert Ming Advocacy Award for the spirit of financial and personal sacrifice displayed in his legal work. He received the MacArthur Fellowship Award, the Reebok Human Rights Award, the ACLU National Medal of Liberty and the American Bar Association Wisdom Award and has been recognized multiple times as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America by the “National Law Journal.”

In 2012, Stevenson spoke at the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference, and his address on injustice received the strongest standing ovation ever seen at a TED event. Following his presentation, more than $1 million was raised by attendees to fund a campaign run by Stevenson to end the practice of putting children in adult jails and prisons.

Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), provides electricity to more than 1.4 million customers across the state. Learn more about the company and its community service efforts at www.alabamapower.com.