Two visionaries in journalism and democracy have accepted appointments as senior fellows, the Charles F. Kettering Foundation announced today.

The new fellows are voting rights activist Stacey Abrams and New York Times columnist David French. Kettering’s senior fellows represent the nation’s leading democracy thinkers and practitioners, drawn from both major political parties, the academy, government, public service, civil society, business, law, and journalism. Abrams and French join a distinguished community of Kettering Foundation appointees chosen for their thought leadership and stalwart defense of democracy, including broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff, the Katherine W. Fanning Fellow in Journalism and Democracy; former US Secretary of Health and Human Services and Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, the inaugural David Mathews Democracy Fellow; former Poet Laureate of the United States Joy Harjo, the Ruth Yellowhawk Fellow; and ten other senior fellows: William J. Barber II, Johnnetta Betsch Cole, James Comey, Neal Katyal, María Teresa Kumar, Steven Levitsky, Sarah Longwell, J. Michael Luttig, Maureen O’Connor, and Alexander Vindman.

Stacey Abrams is a New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, and political leader. She served as minority leader in the Georgia House of Representatives, and she was the first Black woman to become gubernatorial nominee for a major party in United States history. Abrams has devoted her career to democracy protection, voting rights, and effective public policy. She has also cofounded successful companies, including a financial services firm, an energy and infrastructure consulting firm, and a media company, Sage Works Productions Inc.

David French is a columnist for The New York Times. A graduate of Harvard Law School, French was previously a senior editor at The Dispatch and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. He is a former constitutional litigator and past president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. French is a New York Times bestselling author, and his most recent book is Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation. A former major in the United States Army Reserve, French is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was awarded the Bronze Star.

“Our newest fellows are not only distinguished leaders in their fields, but also trustworthy and courageous voices in defense of democracy,” said Kettering Foundation President and CEO Sharon L. Davies. “We at the Kettering Foundation look forward to their contributions as we work to advance inclusive democracy and combat the forces that seek to divide us.”

In addition to amplifying their current activities, French and Abrams will be invited to contribute to Kettering’s blog series, From Many, We; engage in our podcast, The Context; participate in our video series, The Stakes; and contribute to Kettering’s public conversations as panelists, keynotes, or moderators.