The passing of CDF Board Emeritus Leonard Riggio

Children’s Defense Fund mourns the passing of our dear friend and emeritus board member, Leonard Riggio. Mr. Riggio is best known for founding the Barnes and Noble Booksellers. But we know him as a stalwart advocate for “the unfinished business of the Civil Rights Movement” and his generosity in supporting the development of Children’s Defense Fund’s Alex Haley Farm, where the Langston Hughes Library and the Leonard Riggio-WIlliam Lynch Chapel stand as testaments to his philanthropic commitment to America’s children. CDF is honored to preserve his legacy, and we extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Louise, his daughters, and all his family.