Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Jason Riley Wins Prestigious Bradley Prize

Award Recognizes Outstanding Scholars, Thought Leaders

New York, NY – It was announced today that Jason Riley, Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow and Wall Street Journal columnist, is one of three recipients of the 2018 Bradley Prizes. The honor recognizes individuals of extraordinary talent, whose accomplishments reflect The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation's mission to restore, strengthen and protect the principles and institutions of American exceptionalism. Riley will receive the award at the 15th annual Bradley Prizes ceremony on Tuesday, May 15 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

“Jason Riley’s insightful commentary continues to help inform how American policy makers, leaders and scholars approach many of the complex issues in our country,” said Richard Graber, President and CEO of the Bradley Foundation. “His courage to offer thoughtful analysis on often controversial topics makes him among the most distinctive and respected opinion leaders today. The Bradley Foundation is proud to honor Jason for his work, which is promoting the ideals of freedom and prosperity.”   

“It’s quite an honor for me to receive an award that’s previously gone to Manhattan Institute superstars like Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom and Heather Mac Donald,” said Jason Riley. “I’m very grateful to Larry Mone for nominating me for a Bradley Prize, but I’m even more grateful to work for an organization with an intellectual tradition of putting truth ahead of popularity.”

“We are thrilled that the Bradley Foundation has chosen to award its highest honor to Jason Riley,” said Larry Mone, President of the Manhattan Institute.  “Jason’s body of work is a perfect complement to the steadfast dedication of the Bradley Foundation to American civil society and self-governance.”

Riley has written on the issues of race, welfare policy, politics, and immigration for over 20 years. In 2005, Riley was named to the prestigious Wall Street Journal editorial board. He is the author of several books, including Let Them In, which argues for a more free-market oriented U.S. immigration system. His second book, Please Stop Helping Us, which is about the track record of government efforts to help the black underclass, was published in 2014. His most recent book, False Black Power?, is an assessment of why black political success has not translated into more economic success, and was published in 2017. Riley is a frequent contributor to Fox News, ABC, NBC, CNN, PBS, and NPR, among others. He holds a B.A. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

This year’s award winners were chosen by the Bradley Prizes Selection Committee, a group of notable leaders in various fields, after careful review of nearly 200 nominations. Each award carries a stipend of $250,000.