Kerry Kennedy

Mary Kerry Kennedy was born on September 8, 1959, in Washington, D.C., to Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel. She is the seventh of their eleven children. Her early life was marked by her family’s prominent role in American politics and public service; her father, Robert F. Kennedy, served as Attorney General and later as a U.S. Senator. She appeared at age three in the 1963 documentary “Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment.” Her father was assassinated in 1968. Kennedy pursued higher education at Brown University, earning a Bachelor of Arts, and subsequently obtained her Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School. These educational foundations prepared her for a career dedicated to legal and human rights advocacy.

Kennedy’s career in human rights began in 1981 as an intern with Amnesty International, where she investigated abuses against Salvadoran refugees. This early experience shaped her focus, leading her to work on a range of issues including child labor, women’s rights, indigenous land rights, judicial independence, and environmental justice. Since 1986, she has been integral to Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, where she founded the RFK Center Partners for Human Rights to support human rights defenders globally. She also initiated RFK Compass for sustainable investing and the RFK Training Institute in Florence, Italy, for human rights defenders. Under her leadership as president, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights has partnered with individuals and organizations worldwide to promote lasting change.

Throughout her career, Kennedy has played a significant role in various advocacy efforts. She served as Chair of the Amnesty International USA Leadership Council for over a decade and holds board positions with organizations such as the United States Institute of Peace and the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation. Her activism includes involvement in bail reform, notably advocating for “Kalief’s Law” in New York and posting bail for Pedro Hernandez in 2017. She also led the “Break Bread, Not Families” campaign in 2018, protesting family separations at the U.S. border. Kennedy is also an author, with works including the New York Times bestseller “Being Catholic Now” (2008) and “Robert F. Kennedy: Ripples of Hope” (2018), which reflect on her father’s legacy.