ACLU Artist & Entertainment Partners

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ACLU Artist & Entertainment Partners

Over the years, the ACLU has partnered with many members of the entertainment industry on film screenings, panel discussions, documentary films, delegations, and awareness campaigns. The ACLU Ambassador Project is an exciting next step in the ACLU's longtime collaboration with the entertainment community, in an effort to use celebrity for the greater good.

The ACLU Ambassador Project ties influential creative artists in film, television, music and comedy with public education and advocacy for key ACLU issues. Each Ambassador works with the ACLU on specific civil liberties issues, which include: immigrants’ rights, voting rights, rights of LGBTQ people and people living with HIV, women’s rights, abortion/reproductive rights, reducing mass incarceration, racial justice, and privacy and security.

Last updated on July 22, 2025

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Artist Ambassadors

*Deceased

Ike Barinholtz

Artist Ambassador for Voting Rights

he/him/his

Ike Barinholtz, an ACLU Artist Ambassador for Voting Rights, is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after comedians, writers and actors in the comedy world. He currently stars in FOX’s “Bless the Harts,” alongside Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph. He also recently marked his feature directorial debut with The Oath and starred alongside John Cena…

Ike Barinholtz

Harry Belafonte*

Artist Ambassador for Juvenile Justice

he/him/his

Harry Belafonte exposed America to world music and spent his life challenging and overturning racial barriers across the globe. Recently, Belafonte founded the Sankofa Justice & Equity Fund, a non-profit social justice organization that utilizes the power of culture and celebrity in partnership with activism. It is a space for artists to contribute their talents…

Harry Belafonte*

W. Kamau Bell

Artist Ambassador for Racial Justice and Host of At Liberty

he/him/his

W. Kamau Bell, an ACLU Artist Ambassador for racial justice, is a sociopolitical comedian and the host of the Emmy Award winning CNN docu-series United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell. He recently made his Netflix debut with the stand-up comedy special, Private School Negro. Kamau has a book with the easy-to-remember title The…

W. Kamau Bell

Demián Bichir

Ambassador for Immigrants' Rights

he/him/his

Demián Bichir serves as an ACLU Artist Ambassador for immigrants' rights. Bichir is one of the most well-known and well-respected actors in his home of Mexico and the U.S. He received a 2012 Academy Award, SAG Award and Independent Spirit Award nomination for his portrayal of an undocumented gardener trying to connect with his estranged…

Demián Bichir

Lewis Black

Artist Ambassador for Voting Rights

he/him/his

Lewis Black is an ACLU Artist Ambassador for voting rights. Black has been a fixture on The Daily Show segment, "Back in Black," since the show's debut in 1996. He won a Grammy for comedy album, The Carnegie Hall Performance (2006), has starred in numerous HBO Comedy and Comedy Central specials. In addition to his…

Lewis Black

Willy Chavarria

Artist Ambassador for Immigrants' & LGBTQ Rights

Willy Chavarria, originally from California, began his creative journey with a focus on commercial art, studying graphic design at the Academy of the Arts. However, he ultimately found his passion in the world of fashion, where he decided to channel his talents to enhance human dignity. His mission is to uplift the underrepresented through the…

Willy Chavarria

Ariana DeBose

Artist Ambassador for Voting Rights

Ariana DeBose is an award winning actress known for her varying roles onstage and in film and television. DeBose is best known for her groundbreaking performance in Steven Spielberg’s reimagining of WEST SIDE STORY, for which she received an Academy Award in addition to BAFTA, Critics Choice and SAG Awards for her star turning role…

Ariana DeBose

Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Artist Ambassador for LGBTQ Rights

he/him/his

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, an ACLU Artist Ambassador for LGBT rights, currently stars as “Mitchell Pritchett” on the Award-winning ABC comedy MODERN FAMILY. Currently, in its tenth season, the show has earned five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, a Golden Globe Award for Outstanding Comedy Series and four Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance…

Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Artist Ambassador for Privacy, Security & Surveillance

she/her/hers

Maggie Gyllenhaal is an ACLU Artist Ambassador for immigrants’ rights and privacy & technology. She is an award-winning actress and star of the HBO series “The Deuce.” Her film work has included, “Secretary,” “Crazy Heart,” “Dark Knight,” “Stranger Than Fiction,” “Sherrybaby,” and many more. She has starred in the BBC/SundanceTV original series “The Honorable Woman,”…

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Padma Lakshmi

Artist Ambassador Immigrants’ & Women’s Rights

she/her/hers

Emmy-nominated Padma Lakshmi, an ACLU Artist Ambassador for immigrants’ rights and women’s rights, is internationally known as a food expert, model, actress, and best-selling author, as well as the recipient of the 2016 NECO Ellis Island Medal of Honor and Variety’s 2018 Karma award. Lakshmi serves as host and an executive producer of Bravo’s Emmy…

Padma Lakshmi

Alyssa Milano

Artist Ambassador for Reproductive Freedom

she/her/hers

Actress and Activist Alyssa Milano has been in the spotlight for most of her life. She chooses to shine that spotlight on causes that matter deeply to her. Her advancement of #MeToo sparked a viral movement of women fighting against sexual harassment and assault and she has been involved in TimesUp since its inception. She…

Alyssa Milano

Tom Morello

Artist Ambassador for Smart Justice

he/him/his

Grammy-winning, Harvard-educated, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted artist, songwriter, and activist Tom Morello is living proof of the transformative power of rock’n’roll. Known for his innovative guitar solos and thunderous chords, Morello is a groundbreaking artist both in his solo career and as an original member of the rock bands Rage Against the…

Tom Morello

Peppermint

ACLU’s Artist Ambassador for Transgender Justice

she/her/hers

Peppermint is the ACLU’s Artist Ambassador for Transgender Justice. Her star has continued to rise since her smashing success as first runner-up on Season 9 of "Rupaul’s Drag Race." Soon after, she became the first trans woman to originate a principal role on Broadway when she was cast as Pythio in the groundbreaking Broadway musical…

Peppermint

Busy Philipps

Artist Ambassador for Reproductive Freedom

she/her/hers

Busy Philipps is a New York Times Best-Selling author, actor, activist, writer and previous late-night talk show host of BUSY TONIGHT. Philipps served as executive producer on the show, alongside Tina Fey. In 2018, Philipps released a collection of humorous autobiographical essays in her book THIS WILL ONLY HURT A LITTLE that was immediately a…

Busy Philipps

Michael K. Williams*

Michael K. Williams, Artist Ambassador for Smart Justice

he/him/his

Michael Kenneth Williams (1966-2021) was an ACLU Artist Ambassador for ending mass incarceration. Williams was best known for his remarkable work on The Wire, which ran for five seasons on HBO. The wit and humor that Williams brought to Omar, the whistle-happy, profanity-averse, dealer-robbing stickup man, earned him high praise and made Omar one of…

Michael K. Williams*

Sasheer Zamata

Artist Ambassador for Women’s Rights

she/her/hers

Sasheer Zamata is an ACLU Artist Ambassador for women’s rights. She is a comedian, actress, writer and former Saturday Night Live cast member for 4 seasons. Sasheer starred in NBC’s pilot SO CLOSE. In 2018, she starred in the independent feature “The Weekend,” opposite Tone Bell and Dewanda Wise and recently released her first one-hour…

Sasheer Zamata

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