Ellen J. Kennedy

Ellen J. Kennedy is a U.S. academic who is the founder and executive director of World Without Genocide, a human rights organization headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.

Kennedy promotes Holocaust, genocide, and human rights education in colleges, universities, faith-based organizations, and civic groups. She advocates with elected officials at the city, state, national, and international levels on genocide prevention and human rights issues.

She founded World Without Genocide in 2006. World Without Genocide is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which advocates for state, national, and international efforts to protect innocent people from discrimination, violence, and hate; prevent genocides and other mass atrocities; prosecute perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes; and remember those whose lives and communities have been affected by violence.

World Without Genocide in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2022. Kennedy and other World Without Genocide leaders attend international meetings, submit reports, and advocate for an end to genocide and other mass atrocities through the just rule of law. The plays are used in schools, faith, and civic organizations across Minnesota and the US.

She developed two travelling exhibits:

1. ‘Tents of Witness: Genocide and Conflict’ (2010-19) featured 10 tents like those used in refugee camps, each depicting a group persecuted based on race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin.

2. ‘Genocide and Justice: From Nuremberg to the International Criminal Court’ has been displayed at the Minnesota State Capitol several times, colleges and universities throughout the country, faith organizations, and area theatres.

Kennedy has spoken at 980 events to more than 82,000 people (as of March 2026).

Education Kennedy graduated from Ishpeming High School in Ishpeming, Michigan. Kennedy earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Psychology from the University of Michigan in 1969. She has a master's degree in Communications (1972) and English (1971) from Northern Michigan University, and a master's degree in Sociology from the University of Minnesota in 1986. She holds a doctorate in Marketing (1988) and a doctorate in Sociology (2001) from the University of Minnesota.

Teaching Kennedy was a professor at St. Catherine University from 1979 to 1987 (tenured), the University of St. Thomas from 1987 to 2007 (tenured), Carleton College in 2007, the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in 2009, and an adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law from 2011 to present.

She served as the Interim Director for the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, University of Minnesota, from 2008 to 2010.

Kennedy taught overseas in Australia, China, Costa Rica, England, India, Israel, Jamaica, Poland, Russia, Semester at Sea, Sweden, and Ukraine.

Published articles Kennedy has published articles on human rights, genocide, sociology, and marketing in academic and mass publications.

"Never Again Must Mean Never," in Sociologists in Action: Sociology, Social Change, and Social Justice, 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc. “Determinants of Moral Reasoning: Sex-Role Orientation, Gender, and Academic Factors,” with Leigh Lawton and Dawn Elm, in Business and Society, 40:3, 2001, 241-265. “Ethics and Services Marketing,” with Leigh Lawton, Journal of Business Ethics, 12: 785-795, 1993. “Men and Women in Industrial Sales: Satisfaction and Outcomes,” with Leigh Lawton, Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 21: 1, February 1992, 5-14. “Women Marketing Educators: Interests, Productivity, and Satisfaction,” with Mary Carsky and Mary Ellen Waller-Zuckerman, Journal of Marketing Education, Spring 1990, 1-10. “The Socialization of Women to the Industrial Sales Force,” Proceedings of the American Marketing Association Educators’ Conference, February 1989.

Awards Kennedy has received awards for her work: Global Citizenship Award, University of St. Thomas, 2003 Higher Education Leader of the Year Award, National Society for Experiential Education, 2004 Human Rights Award, City of Edina, Minnesota, 2007 Outstanding Citizen Award, Anne Frank Center, New York, 2009 Change-Maker Award, Minnesota Women's Press, 2010 Prominent Minnesotan, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, 2019 Director's Community Leadership Award from the FBI, 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award from Northern Michigan University, 2023 Woman of Valor Award from Forward Global Women, 2023 Liberty Bell Award from Ramsey County Bar Association, 2023