The ACLU of Southern California’s annual Bill of Rights Awards on Sunday night honored Mark Ruffalo, “Will & Harper” stars Harper Steele and Will Ferrell, “The Sympathizer” author Viet Thanh Nguyen and sports legend Brittney Griner and her wife Cherelle Griner.
Taking place just days after the election, the evening took on a somber tone with presenters and honorees emphasizing how crucial the ACLU was and will be in legal battles protecting civil rights and fighting for social justice during a Trump administration. In an eerie coincidence, an SUV adorned with Trump flags and passengers shouting “we won” drove by the Beverly Hilton hotel on Wilshire Boulevard as guests arrived for the gala.
Griner, who spent 10 months in a Russian work camp before her release was secured by a prisoner swap negotiated by the Biden administration in 2022, praised the civil rights organization. “My wife and I have a lot of common with the ACLU,…
