Ben Jealous facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ben Jealous
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Jealous in 2017
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| Executive Director of the Sierra Club | |
| Assumed office November 14, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Michael Brune |
| President and CEO of the NAACP | |
| In office September 1, 2008 – November 1, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Dennis Courtland Hayes (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Lorraine Miller (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Benjamin Todd Jealous
January 18, 1973 Pacific Grove, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Thomas Jefferson Peter G. Morgan Edward David Bland |
| Education | Columbia University (BA) St Antony's College, Oxford (MSc) |
Benjamin Todd Jealous (born January 18, 1973) is an American leader who works for civil rights and the environment. He is currently the executive director of the Sierra Club, a large environmental organization.
Before this, he was the president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 2008 to 2013. When he took on this role at age 35, he became the youngest person ever to lead the NAACP.
Jealous also ran for governor of Maryland in 2018. He won the Democratic Party's nomination but lost the main election to the Republican governor, Larry Hogan.
Today, Jealous is a partner at Kapor Capital, which invests in companies that aim to make a positive social impact. He also serves as the board chairman of the Southern Elections Fund. In 2013, he was recognized as a Young Global Leader by the Davos World Economic Forum, a group that brings together world leaders to discuss global issues.
In 2020, Jealous became the president of People for the American Way, an organization that works to protect civil liberties. His book, Never Forget Our People Were Always Free: A Parable of American Healing, was released in 2023.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Benjamin Jealous was born in 1973 in Pacific Grove, California. He grew up in the Monterey Peninsula area.
His mother, Ann Jealous, is biracial. She worked as a psychotherapist and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. She helped desegregate, or end racial separation in, Western High School. His father, Fred Jealous, is white. He also took part in sit-ins in Baltimore to desegregate lunch counters.
Jealous's parents met in Baltimore in 1966. At that time, it was against the law for interracial couples to marry in Maryland. They got married in Washington, D.C., and later moved to California. As a child, Benjamin spent his summers with his grandparents in Baltimore. He graduated from York School in 1990.
Benjamin Jealous has been friends with comedian Dave Chappelle since they were children. Their fathers were best friends, making them like god-brothers.
Jealous studied political science at Columbia University. He later became a Rhodes Scholar, which is a special scholarship that allowed him to study at St Antony's College, Oxford in England. There, he earned a Master of Science degree.
Working for Change
Early Activism and Reporting
While at Columbia University, Benjamin Jealous started working with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. He protested a plan to change the Audubon Ballroom, where Malcolm X was assassinated, into a research center. This led to his suspension from the university.
During his suspension, Jealous traveled through the Southern United States. He helped the local NAACP chapter keep three historically Black colleges in Mississippi open and funded.
In Mississippi, Jealous also worked as a reporter for the Jackson Advocate, an old Black newspaper. He became its managing editor. His reporting helped show corruption at a state prison and helped a farmer who was wrongly accused of a crime. After this, he returned to Columbia and received his Rhodes Scholarship.
After finishing his studies at Oxford, Jealous became the executive director of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). This group connects over 200 Black community newspapers. He helped create an online news service for these papers.
Later, he worked at Amnesty International, a human rights organization. He focused on issues like stopping racial profiling and unfair sentencing for young people. He also wrote a report about racial profiling in the United States.
From 2005 to 2008, Jealous was the president of the Rosenberg Foundation, a private foundation in San Francisco.
Leading the NAACP
In 2008, Benjamin Jealous was chosen to be the president and CEO of the NAACP. He was the youngest person to hold this important position. He served until 2013.
During his time, Jealous started new programs for the NAACP. These programs focused on things like fair justice, health, environmental justice (making sure all communities have a healthy environment), and voting rights. He also opened the NAACP Financial Freedom Center to help people learn about money.
Under his leadership, the NAACP helped register many new voters. They also encouraged millions of people to vote in the 2012 presidential election. The NAACP supported ending the death penalty in Connecticut and Maryland. They also supported same-sex marriage and fought against laws that made it harder for people to vote.
During Jealous's time, the number of people who supported the NAACP online grew a lot. The number of donors also increased significantly.
Jealous worked closely with other groups that supported civil rights, workers' rights, and the environment. In 2010, the NAACP helped organize the One Nation Working Together rally, a large gathering for social change. In 2012, the NAACP led a protest in New York City against a police policy called "stop-and-frisk."
He also helped create the Democracy Initiative in 2012. This group worked to reduce the influence of big money in politics, protect voting rights, and improve how the Senate works. In 2013, Jealous spoke at a large rally for immigration reform at the US Capitol.
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Jealous also worked with conservative groups on criminal justice reform. In Texas, the NAACP worked with the Tea Party to pass measures that led to a prison closing. In Virginia, the NAACP worked with Governor Bob McDonnell to pass a law that allowed people who had served their sentences to vote again.
When he announced he was leaving the NAACP in 2013, many people praised him for bringing different groups together. He was also recognized for making the NAACP stronger and more effective.
Running for Governor
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On May 31, 2017, Benjamin Jealous announced he would run for governor of Maryland in the 2018 election. His running mate was Susan Turnbull.
Many labor unions and progressive groups supported Jealous early on. These included groups like the American Postal Workers Union, National Nurses United, and the Service Employees International Union.
He also received support from well-known politicians like Senators Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, and Kamala Harris. His childhood friend, comedian Dave Chappelle, also endorsed him.
Jealous won the Democratic primary election on June 26, 2018. He won with 40% of the votes, beating eight other candidates.
His campaign focused on ideas like free college tuition, universal healthcare (healthcare for everyone), and a $15 minimum wage for workers in Maryland.
The main election was held on November 6, 2018. Jealous lost the election to the current governor, Republican Larry Hogan.
Other Work
In 2014, Jealous became a senior partner at Kapor Capital, an investment firm. He also joined the Center for American Progress as a senior fellow, which means he helped research and develop new policy ideas.
Jealous is a progressive Democrat. He supported Bernie Sanders in his 2016 campaign for U.S. president. After Sanders was not nominated, Jealous supported Hillary Clinton.
Personal Life
Benjamin Jealous has been a vegetarian since 1978. He was married to Lia Epperson, a lawyer and law professor, in 2002. They have two children. The couple divorced in 2015. He lives in Alameda, California.
Awards and Honors
Benjamin Jealous has received many awards for his work:
- In 2009, he received the John Jay Award from Columbia College.
- In 2010, Time magazine named him one of the "40 Under 40" rising stars in American politics.
- In 2010 and 2011, he was on the Nonprofit Times "Power & Influence Top 50" list.
- In 2012, Fortune magazine also named him to their "40 Under 40" list.
- He was ranked highly on Root Top 100 list in 2012 and 2013.
- In 2012, he received the Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship. This award is given to people who bravely challenge the way things are.
- In 2013, the Davos World Economic Forum named him a Young Global Leader.
- In December 2013, the Baltimore Sun newspaper named him Marylander of The Year.
See also
- Reach: 40 Black Men Speak on Living, Leading and Succeeding, a book of personal essays edited by Jealous and Trabian Shorters
