Every now and then, amidst the doom and gloom of our daily politics, a glimmer of hope will shine through in the form of good news. This month, hope reappeared in North Carolina with the naming of the Rev. William J. Barber II as the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.

Informally known as the “genius grant,” MacArthur Foundation Fellowships are granted to “talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits.” The Fellowship is a “no-strings-attached” grant of $625,000 given directly to the recipient over the course of five years. Barber’s claim to the fellowship is his construction of a fusion coalition set on confronting the issues of racial and economic inequality.

Rev. William Barber perfectly encapsulates what it means to be a model citizen. Barber epitomizes the ideals of selflessness and morality. At just about every opportunity, Rev. Barber is there to fight tirelessly for the rights of the less fortunate even if it comes at a cost to his own safety and status.

Barber has already done an incalculable amount of good for the less fortunate by helping to recreate the Poor People’s Campaign. Started by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, the Poor People’s Campaign worked to help bring economic justice to poor people in the United States. Brought back to life 50 years later, the campaign now seeks to “challenge the evils of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation and the nation’s distorted morality.”

Barber drew national attention in 2013 when he began the Moral Monday protests. These weekly demonstrations held at the North Carolina Statehouse demonstrated the lengths of Barber’s dedication to these causes. In an age of slacktivism where signing online petitions has become a form of protest, Barber and his supporters would march through Raleigh demanding change.

Upon arriving at the Statehouse, the Moral Monday activists would often be arrested for their acts of civil disobedience. Among the policy changes they strived to attain were additional funding for health care and a restoration of unemployment benefits, voting rights and environmental regulation.

As every proponent of democracy should do, Barber has worked tirelessly to strengthen our democracy. He is an ardent critic of Republicans’ voter suppression tactics in the state, going as far as saying Apple and Amazon should not develop in the Research Triangle Park if voters pass the voter ID amendment during the upcoming election.

Through his Moral Monday protests, the Reverend was able to help bring North Carolina under national scrutiny for our discriminatory voter suppression laws. Many credit his efforts as one of the core reasons why former governor Pat McCrory was defeated in the 2016 election.

Barber provides us an example of what every American has the potential to be. He does not come from a posh background or one rooted in the ivory tower. As a child, Barber attended segregated schools in North Carolina, fully acquainting himself with the dialect of inequality. Through studious work and dedication, Barber was able to climb his way to his present state. Now in his elevated position in society, Barber does all he possibly can to bring the American ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to the people living where he once did.

It is not often that North Carolina makes national headlines for positive political news. As such, the work of William Barber should not be taken for granted. Barber is attempting to radically better our politics in a way that has not been truly attempted since MLK took to the streets in the 1960s. For the first time in a long time, North Carolina has an American hero.