Harris’ explosive Slave Play, which moved from New York Theatre Workshop to Broadway last fall, has been one of the most buzzed-about productions of the past year—and the most contentiously debated (particularly here at The Root). But in spite of the hype and controversy—or perhaps, because of it—HRC President Alphonso David contends (via a statement):

Jeremy O. Harris’s brilliant Slave Play is a compelling and raw exploration of race, sex, gender and identity. A vital voice for the LGBTQ community, Harris constantly challenges us to rethink the power dynamics within all of our relationships and how our shared past influences our present struggle for justice. We are honored to award Jeremy O. Harris with our Equality Award for his work on and off Broadway.

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Also on deck to be honored an HRC Equality Award this year? 2019 Root 100 honoree Janelle Monáe, who will be honored at HRC’s first Los Angeles gala in late March.