More Than 1,200 Graduates Expected; Equal Justice Initiative Founder to Receive Honorary Doctor of Laws
(BALTIMORE – April 8, 2026) — Bryan Stevenson, one of the nation’s most influential voices on criminal justice reform and human rights, will deliver the keynote address at Morgan State University’s 149th Spring Commencement, university officials announced.
Stevenson, the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), will also receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in recognition of his decades-long fight for justice, equity, and human dignity.
The undergraduate ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, at 10 a.m. inside W.A.C. Hughes Memorial Stadium on Morgan’s campus. More than 600 undergraduate students are expected to participate, with total commencement activities celebrating over 1,200 graduates across both undergraduate and graduate ceremonies.
“Bryan Stevenson stands as one of the most consequential voices of our time in the fight for justice, equality, and human dignity,” said David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University. “His life’s work challenges us to confront injustice with courage and compassion.”
Widely regarded as a leading advocate for criminal justice reform, Stevenson has built a career confronting systemic inequities within the legal system. Through EJI, based in Montgomery, Alabama, he has led groundbreaking efforts to end excessive sentencing, protect the rights of incarcerated individuals and the mentally ill, and challenge the prosecution of children as adults.
Stevenson has argued and won multiple landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including a 2012 decision banning mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles and a 2019 ruling protecting individuals with dementia from execution. Under his leadership, EJI has secured relief or release for more than 140 people on death row and aided hundreds more who were unjustly convicted or sentenced.
Beyond the courtroom, Stevenson has reshaped the national dialogue on race, history, and justice. He spearheaded the creation of EJI’s nationally recognized Legacy Sites, including the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice—institutions that confront America’s history of racial terror and inequality.
He is also the author of the bestselling book Just Mercy, which chronicles his work defending the wrongly convicted. The book later inspired an award-winning film adaptation, further amplifying his message to a global audience.
Stevenson’s selection as keynote speaker underscores Morgan’s longstanding mission to produce graduates who are not only academically accomplished, but also committed to service and social impact.
“Commencement is both a celebration and a charge,” Wilson added. “Our graduates will hear from a leader who has consistently answered the call to serve, challenge injustice, and uplift those whose voices too often go unheard.”
Morgan’s Graduate School commencement will take place Thursday, May 14, with more than 400 master’s and doctoral students expected to receive degrees. The undergraduate ceremony will follow on Saturday, May 16.
