BLOG
The South Carolina Bar Foundation Announces the Winner of the 2020 DuRant Award
Date: January 7, 2021
Columbia, SC | January 5, 2021 – The South Carolina Bar Foundation is proud to announce that David M. Beasley, executive director of the UN World Food Programme, is the recipient of the 2020 DuRant Distinguished Public Service Award. The award was presented to Governor Beasley in a small ceremony Jan. 4 at the South Carolina Supreme Court, and the recorded event will be shared during the SC Bar’s annual convention taking place virtually later this month.
Photo: WFP/Rein Skullerud
In 1980, the South Carolina Bar Foundation established the DuRant Distinguished Public Service Award in memory of Charlton DuRant, a well-known Manning attorney who served as state senator and special associate justice of the SC Supreme Court. This award is one of the most prestigious statewide honors that members of the Bar can bestow on a fellow attorney.
Recipients are nominated by their professional peers and are selected by the SC Bar Foundation Board of Directors. Selection criteria include meritorious service to the law and the community.
Jennifer Blumenthal, the SC Bar Foundation president stated, “Governor David Beasley is the epitome of what it means to be a DuRant Award recipient. He has dedicated most of his personal and professional life to serving and advocating for those in need. He continues to bridge political, religious, and ethnic boundaries to champion economic development and education around the world. It is clear Governor Beasley does not just lead the World Food Programme, he lives its mission.”
Governor Beasley was selected for numerous reasons not the least of which has been his absolute dedication to public service and his tireless work as the executive director for the United Nations World Food Programme since 2017.
Under his leadership, the World Food Programme’s needed financial support has grown and the public awareness for the global fight against hunger has increased substantially. The fight against hunger become even more urgent due to persistent conflict, climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic. Under Governor Beasley’s leadership the World Food Programme mobilized the resources needed to reach more people with the goal of 138 million in 2020. In addition, he is highlighting the WFP’s work on how longer-term development can bring peace and stability to troubled regions. The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognized all of this hard work and as a result awarded the World Food Programme with the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.
Prior to joining the WFP, Governor Beasley spent a decade working with leaders in over 100 countries to foster peace, reconciliation, and economic progress. His work in organizing, leading, or participating in conferences and missions in as many as 30 countries a year helped him develop deep relationships with leaders around the world.
His ability to lead started from a very young age. He was first elected to public office when he was 21. During his service in the South Carolina State House of Representatives, he was the youngest pro tempore and majority leader in the nation.
He was elected as governor of South Carolina in 1995. During his tenure, he was the first governor to make a public push to remove the Confederate battle flag from the state capitol dome. This decision was nationally recognized, and he received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award as a result.
Governor Beasley worked towards his undergraduate degree at Clemson University and earned his bachelor’s from the University of South Carolina. He continued his studies and earned his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
David Beasley is the epitome of what it means to be a DuRant Award recipient. He has dedicated most of his personal and professional life to serving and advocating for those in need. He continues to bridge political, religious, and ethnic boundaries to champion economic development and education. It is clear David Beasley does not just lead the WFP; he lives its mission.
In his remarks during the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, he stated “I don’t go to bed at night thinking about the children we saved. I go to bed weeping over the children we could not save and when we don’t have enough money, nor the access we need, we have to decide which children eat and which children do not eat — which children live, which children die.” He ended his remarks with a plea: “Please don’t ask us to choose who lives and who dies… Let’s feed them all.”
To learn more about the DuRant Award and view a complete list of past recipients, click here.
