Max Burns, BA Government and International Politics ’08, was incensed when he found out that a decorated female World War II veteran could not be buried in the Arlington National Cemetery.
“It was an outrage—how do you deny American patriots basic dignity and honor?” recalls Burns, then a communications manager at Change.org.
The veteran in question was Elaine Harmon, a member of the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II who risked their lives flying dangerous transport missions overseas.
“The WASPs received a Congressional Gold Medal for their selfless service. But the Department of the Army refused to allow them burial at Arlington National Cemetery, on the grounds that they weren’t technically veterans,” said Burns.
But all that was to change when Harmon’s granddaughter, Erin Miller, teamed up with Change.org and petitioned Congress to allow Harmon a burial amongst fellow veterans at the historic cemetery that is also the final resting place of John F. Kennedy, his wife Jackie and brother, Robert.
“We worked both sides of the aisle in Congress —Rep. Martha McSally, a Republican [Arizona], and Rep. Don Beyer, a Democrat [Virginia], were instrumental—and in about 11 weeks we had a unanimous bill through Congress and signed by President Obama that covered not only Elaine, but every WASP who served her country,” said Burns.
After leaving Change.org a few years ago, Burns is now in head of communications at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, an organization founded in 1968 by the family and friends of Robert F. Kennedy to carry on his legacy of social justice and activism.
“A mentor of mine once called this kind of job a ‘song and dance man for human rights,’ and I liked that enough to adopt it.
“There’s no typical day-to-day, but I spend most of my time working directly with media, both on camera as a commentator and off-camera arranging opportunities for the amazing policy experts to share their knowledge on breaking political and human rights issues,” he said.
From tackling femicide and student disappearances in Mexico to organizing for the rights of immigrants in McAllen, Texas, his work has led him to the forefront of some of the most urgent political and social issues facing the United States today.
Growing up with a journalist for a father, Burns was always interested in politics. “I saw politics from the skeptical side of those tasked with the huge job of reporting the truth in a system built on spin and, increasingly, outright lies,” he said.
It is this perspective, a desire to elevate the voices of the most vulnerable and bring their invisible stories to the forefront that led this Schar School graduate to a career in advocacy communications.
It is no easy walk in the park, though. “It’s frustrating that the people we help require our organization to step in for their struggles to be noticed and addressed,” said Burns, who credits his professors for setting him up for a successful career in advocacy communications.
“I always felt the professors had a personal interest in my professional development, and so many of the personal and professional relationships I’ve made over the years come from seeds planted during my time at the Schar School,” he said.
He recognized Schar School professors Colin Dueck, Robert Dudley, and Reuben Brigety (now at George Washington University) “who took theory and applied it to practical situations,” Burns said.
Of his undergraduate career he said, “It was an amazingly interdisciplinary experience that emphasized how communications, theory, and practice inform each other in creating successful policy.
“My program emphasized actually engaging with policy issues in the real world. It was through [the Schar School] that I ended up interning on Capitol Hill, and the experience of that internship opened doors for me around the Washington policy community,” he said.
The Indiana native credits the diversity of the George Mason University student body for expanding his mind and challenging his preconceptions.
“It gave me a belief in humility and listening to others that I carry with me every day. We learn so much when we open our ears and eyes and minds to those from other backgrounds,” he said.