Southern Poverty Law Center

Second Lynn Walker Huntley Social Justice Fellow to join the SPLC this fall

By Safiya Charles | Read the full story here

Friend,

People have always been at the center of Camille Pendley Hau’s work. She was born and raised in Atlanta, and when the city’s commercial sector applauded the completion of the new Mercedes Benz Stadium in 2017 – the most expensive structure built in Atlanta’s history – Pendley Hau couldn’t stop thinking of the residents of Vine City and English Avenue who were obscured by its shadow.

Those thoughts motivated her to direct a documentary centering voices from the economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, whose residents had long been calling for officials to invest in their communities and address the crime and blight that swept through them. It was the first of many experiences that would cement her desire to serve as an advocate who could amplify the voices of society’s most underserved people.

“Research and storytelling have always been at the center of my work,” Pendley Hau said. “I loved reporting because I was telling stories about issues that really impact people’s lives and well-being. That has always been my passion.”

This September, after completing her studies at Emory Law School, Pendley Hau will bring that passion to the Southern Poverty Law Center as the second recipient of the Southern Education Foundation’s Lynn Walker Huntley Social Justice Fellowship.

“Camille is a dedicated young lawyer with an impressive background speaking truth to power as a journalist and serving as an advocate at the intersection of racial justice and children’s rights,” SPLC President and CEO Margaret Huang said. “I’m thrilled at how this fellowship continues to build the pipeline of bright civil rights attorneys pushing for justice and equity in the South. Lawyers like Camille are the leaders our region needs today and in the future.”