Erin Wilson
2026-2027 Obama Foundation USA Leader
Director, Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project
Washington, District of Columbia
Erin Wilson is the director of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project, focusing on hate and extremism across the country. Her work in advocacy also includes Human Rights First, where she was senior director of democracy protection, launched and led the Democracy Protection Program, integrating research, advocacy, litigation, and technology to address authoritarian threats targeting under-resourced communities and democracy. In this role, she built Democracy Watch, a public tool to track democratic backsliding, published research that informed Congressional hearings and briefings, and led coalition advocacy that removed harmful provisions from federal policy. Previously, Erin held senior roles across government in the U.S. Privacy & Civil Liberties Oversight Board, the Intelligence community, Congress, a Department of Justice & Department of Homeland Security Task Force, State Department, and the D.C. Attorney General’s Office, where she led initiatives focused on countering hate and racial injustice, protecting civil liberties, and strengthening institutional accountability.
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