A former member of the South Carolina state senate, Turnipseed is now running for state attorney general. He began his political career in 1968 as the leader of a group of lawyers who worked to get George Wallace on the presidential ballot in all 50 states, and he served as national campaign director for Wallace's second run for the presidency in 1972. In the mid-1970s, Turnipseed underwent a complete political transformation, and he has since devoted himself to progressive causes such as victims' rights, environmental awareness, and abolition of the death penalty. He became a Unitarian Universalist in 1980. The award cited his tireless work against racism, his work with the Center for Democratic Renewal, and his role as founding chairman of CLEAN (Citizens Local Environmental Action Network).

Previous recipients of the Holmes-Weatherly award include Martin Luther King, Jr., Whitney Young, and Roger Baldwin. The award is named for the Rev. John Haynes Holmes and the Rev. Arthur L. Weatherly, founders of the Unitarian Fellowship for Social Justice.

Information: info@uua.org