John Whitehead is a man who defies all stereotypes: attorney, film director, painter, poet and author. Considered a legal, political and cultural watchdog—sounding the call for integrity, accountability and an adherence to the democratic principles on which this country was founded, John W. Whitehead has taken on everything from human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, to child pornography, cross burning and the war on terrorism.
Whitehead's concern for the persecuted and oppressed led him, in 1982, to establish The Rutherford Institute, a nonprofit legal and educational organization whose international headquarters are located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Deeply committed to protecting the constitutional freedoms of every American and the integral human rights of all people, The Rutherford Institute has emerged as a prominent leader in the national dialogue on civil liberties and human rights and a formidable champion of the Constitution.
Widely recognized as one of the nation's most vocal and involved civil liberties attorneys, Whitehead's approach to civil liberties issues has earned him numerous accolades and accomplishments, including the Hungarian Medal of Freedom. Whitehead is an active member of the Constitution Project, which seeks to formulate bipartisan solutions to contemporary constitutional and legal issues by combining high-level scholarship and public education. Whitehead also serves on the Board of Directors for the American Freedom Agenda, which works to restore the Constitution's checks and balances and protections against government abuses.
Whitehead has written, debated and practiced widely in the area of constitutional law, human rights and popular culture. Whitehead's weekly commentaries, carried by daily and weekly newspapers and web publications across the country, including The Huffington Post, take the pulse of the nation, of what's happening and what's news. Audio versions of his commentaries are also made available to radio stations across the country. And his weekly video blogs, distributed through YouTube, are gaining in viewership and popularity.
In 1997, Whitehead launched First Liberties, a national public service radio campaign dedicated to informing people about their First Amendment and constitutional liberties. His provocative Gadfly magazine was hailed by Utne Reader as "second only to the Library of Congress as a warehouse of American pop culture—and number one when it comes...
