Benjamin S. Ruffin Jr. facts for kids

Benjamin Sylvester Ruffin (December 11, 1941 – December 7, 2006), known as Ben Ruffin, was an important African American leader. He was a civil rights activist, an educator, and a businessman from Durham, North Carolina.

Ben Ruffin grew up during the Civil Rights Movement. This time taught him a lot about being Black in America. He understood the challenges of growing up poor and Black. This understanding made him want to help others. He became a leader in groups that worked for social justice. He helped Black people get equal chances in the Jim Crow South.

Ruffin worked to bring people together. He helped bridge the gap between Black and white communities in Durham. He made sure minorities had a bigger role in the city. He helped improve housing, jobs, and education for Black citizens. He achieved great success in bringing people together and fighting poverty.

What Was Happening in History?

The Civil Rights Movement was a time of big changes in the United States. People protested to end racial segregation and unfair treatment against Black Americans. Many protests were peaceful. They included boycotts, marches, and sit-ins. One famous sit-in in Durham was at the Royal Ice Cream. This led to a court case that questioned unfair laws. Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X became well-known. Ben Ruffin was a key leader in Durham.

Durham was seen as more open-minded than other Southern cities. But racial problems still existed. Black and white people were kept separate in public places. Black citizens often had worse jobs and faced unfair treatment. Many worked in tobacco plants or started their own businesses in Black neighborhoods. They were often kept from skilled jobs and faced poverty.

The city was also divided by railroad tracks. One side had nice houses, and the other had run-down homes. This separation kept white and Black people apart. It showed how the city treated its Black citizens unfairly.

Durham had a strong Civil Rights Movement because of its large African-American community. Black people faced unfairness and poverty. Ben Ruffin's own experiences growing up in Durham motivated him to become a civil rights activist.

Ben Ruffin's Early Life and School

His Childhood

Benjamin S. "Ben" Ruffin Jr. was born in Durham, North Carolina, on December 11, 1941. His parents were Benjamin S. Ruffin, Sr. and Catherine Ruffin.

He grew up in a part of Durham called the West End. This was a close-knit Black community. Everyone felt like family. When Ben was a baby, he had a serious health problem. His neighbor, Ms. Arluna Dunn, visited him every day. She prayed for him and told his mother that Ben would be a leader. She said he would be like a "Black Moses" who would help his people.

Ben got better and stayed close to Ms. Dunn. She taught him about faith and always sang hymns. His family, community, and church always told him he was special. They encouraged his dreams.

High School and College Years

Ben Ruffin's experiences in Durham's West End during the 1960s shaped his views on education. He often spoke about growing up poor. His mother always told him to do well in school, even though his social status made it hard.

He finished Hillside High School in 1960. After high school, people told him to take tailoring classes. They said "no one from Durham's West End goes on to college." Ben worked in a shop, sewing clothes. He listened to Black community leaders talk about local events. This is where he learned that "we are all standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before us." Ben decided he wanted to go to college and get involved in politics.

He went on to get a bachelor's degree in political science from North Carolina Central University in 1964. Later, he earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also received special honorary degrees from several other universities.

Fighting for Civil Rights

Marches and Protests

When Ben Ruffin started college, he got involved in community work. He organized marches and protests and became a leader. He was inspired by a speech from Martin Luther King Jr. at his college. Ben decided to lead students on a peaceful march. They walked through stores like "Walgreen's and Kress" to show their presence. During one march, a white girl spat on the marchers. She also hit a girl with a hatpin. Ben Ruffin believed in peaceful protests. He did not want people to fight back with violence.

But he was not afraid to speak up. Whenever he saw unfairness against Black people, he spoke out. He demanded better treatment. People remember him as a strong person who fought for justice. He had no fear and would not accept anything less than equal rights.

Better Housing in Durham

In the early 1960s, Ben Ruffin took on a big role. He became the Chairman of the Durham Housing Authority. He led 21 neighborhood groups. His goal was to make housing, jobs, and neighborhoods better in Durham. This project promised more chances and better living for Black residents. Many were living in poor housing and "slum life."

Ben found out that builders were not putting enough insulation and firewalls in houses. He went to the building sites and told them, "I asked for nice homes for my people and you’re not going to just throw anything together, you’re going to come back in here and do these walls." The builders then fixed their work. The houses were built correctly.

In the late 1960s, Ruffin and others worked to get Black people involved in Durham's decision-making. They protested unfairness in public housing. He often helped organize sit-ins and other protests to integrate businesses in Durham. Ben Ruffin's work became a model for other efforts across the state and the South. He is known for helping Black people who were struggling. He left a lasting mark on his town as a freedom fighter. He dared to challenge the way things were. He continued his fight for justice by working in government and then in big companies.

Working in Government

In 1977, Ben Ruffin was chosen to be a Special Assistant for Minority Affairs. He worked for North Carolina governor Jim Hunt. For seven years, from 1977 to 1984, Ruffin helped a lot. He increased the number of Black judges in the state. He also increased the number of Black people working in state government. He made huge progress in including Black people in government and politics.

Ruffin helped many Black people get important government jobs. These included a Federal Judge, a Supreme Court Judge, and a Black person on the Utilities Commission. He also helped get a Black Deputy Secretary and the first Black female judge in Durham County. Many believed his success came from his earlier work as a community organizer.

Working for the governor, Ruffin saw poverty and hardship beyond Durham. He visited many North Carolina counties. He saw people living with little help. They were stuck in a negative cycle of poverty. Ruffin then focused on helping minorities escape poverty. He worked to improve education, teach job skills, and create more opportunities.

His Business Career

After working for Governor Jim Hunt, Ben Ruffin moved into the business world. His education helped him become a successful businessman. He worked as a vice president at North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company for two years. In 1986, he became director of corporate affairs for R.J.R. Nabisco. In 1989, he became Vice President for Corporate Affairs at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. In this job, he helped the company work with minority businesses. This helped more minorities get jobs in the workforce.

Ruffin's success in business showed the Black community that a leader could do well in big companies. He brought the same passion he had in government to R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. He pushed the company to do more business with minority contractors. This led to many more minority employees and contracts with minority businesses.

In 1999, Ruffin left his full-time job at R.J. Reynolds. He became an advisor so he could focus more on his work with the university system.

As an Educator

Ben Ruffin's experience in business led him to be appointed to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors in 1991. He had served as Secretary and vice-chair. On July 11, 1998, Ruffin became the Chair of the UNC Board of Governors. He was the first Black person to lead the board that oversees the university's 16 campuses. In 2000, he was chosen again for a second term. He served on the UNC Board of Governors until he passed away in December 2006.

Ruffin led the UNC Board of Governors from 1991 to 1998. During his time, the Board of Governors was making big changes. This board makes the rules for all parts of the university system. In 1976, they adopted a "Long Range Plan." This plan had eight goals to give better education to people in North Carolina.

When Ruffin became chairman, he faced challenges with education access and fairness. He said, "I always believed education was the bridge to improve the quality of life. More education – more opportunity. I believed that if you acquire education, you will have more choices. Poverty equals lack of options. I grew up poor... I know what a university can do, and I know what it did for me personally." His main goal was to help more North Carolinians get higher education. This led to more diverse students in universities. It also helped more minorities get better-paying jobs.

Ruffin was not afraid to share his thoughts. He worked on issues like access to education, affordable tuition, and equal chances for all schools in the system. Ben Ruffin becoming the first Black chair of the Board of Governors was a big win for the Black community and the state of North Carolina. Having a person of color in such a high leadership role in education sent a strong message of inclusion to everyone.

Other Important Roles

Ben Ruffin was well-known across the country. He was chairman of the corporate roundtable for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. He was also a member of the N.C. Institute for Minority Economic Development and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. He chaired the board of directors of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company. He was also on the boards of Mechanics & Farmers. He used to be on the board of directors for the National Urban League. In 1999, Ruffin also became president and CEO of his own company, The Ruffin Group, in Winston-Salem.

Awards and Honors

Ben Ruffin received many awards during his life. He got eight honorary degrees from colleges and universities. Some of his awards include:

• The 1991 NAACP Kelly Miller Alexander Humanitarian Award
• The North Carolina Kappa Man of the Year Award
• Distinguished Alumni Awards from the University of North Carolina School of Social Work
• The North Carolina Association of Black County Officials Frederick Douglass Leadership Award
• The National Urban League's Donald H. McGannan Citation

His Personal Life

Ben Ruffin was a "life" and "golden heritage" member of the NAACP. He was also a Prince Hall Mason and a former leader of the Winston-Salem Alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. He was an active member of Emmanuel Baptist Church. He taught Sunday school and was an usher. He was married to his wife Avon for almost 32 years. They had two daughters, April and Benita. He also had a brother, Fred Ruffin, and three sisters, Celestine McIver, Carolyn Blount, and Cheryl Smith.