Jew Don Boney facts for kids

Jew Don Boney Jr. was an important leader in Houston, Texas. He was born on November 16, 1951. From 1995 to 2001, he served on the Houston City Council. He represented District D, an area with a rich African-American history. He also held the role of Mayor Pro Tem of Houston from 1998 to 2001. This means he acted as mayor when the actual mayor was not available. Later, he worked at Texas Southern University. There, he helped lead the Mickey Leland Center, which focuses on world hunger and peace.

Working with Countries Around the World

Helping with Global Trade

Jew Don Boney Jr. helped countries trade with each other. He visited over 20 different countries. These included Mexico, England, Germany, Brazil, Canada, and many nations in Africa. He worked to make trade easier between the United States and other parts of the world.

Fighting Hunger and Promoting Peace

Mr. Boney was also involved in global efforts for peace and fighting hunger. He attended important meetings about human rights. He was a delegate at a summit in Accra, Ghana, focused on African and African-American issues. He worked with many African governments. His goal was to create and carry out global policies.

One big achievement was helping to pass "The African Growth and Opportunity Act" (AGOA). President Bill Clinton signed this law. It created the first official trade relationship between the U.S. and Africa.

Helping Ethiopia with Food Security

Officials from Ethiopia asked for his help. Mr. Boney successfully helped Ethiopia become certified under AGOA. This meant Ethiopia could trade more easily with the U.S. In 2002, he also helped lead a trade mission to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

During this trip, he helped create an agreement. This agreement was between the Ethiopian Government and the Food Development Corporation. They planned to build a large agribusiness complex. This project was designed to provide food for 100,000 people. It also aimed to create jobs for over 10,000 Ethiopians.

A Champion for Justice

Standing Up for Others

In the 1980s, Jew Don Boney Jr. became well-known for his activism. He organized a group called the Coalition to Free Clarence Brandley. This group included people from different backgrounds in Houston. They worked together to get international support for Brandley's release.

Clarence Brandley had been wrongly accused of a crime. He was sentenced to death. After spending ten years in prison, he was finally proven innocent in 1990. Mr. Boney said that helping to save a human being's life was the most important thing he could do. His work was even shown in a movie called Whitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story.

Speaking Out Against Hate

In 1998, a terrible crime happened in Jasper, Texas. A man named James Byrd, Jr. was killed in a hate crime. Jew Don Boney Jr. spoke out strongly after this event. He worked to bring attention to the importance of justice and equality.

Cultural Contributions

Promoting Arts and Culture

In 2008, Mr. Boney was the Chairman of the Board for the 37th annual Houston International Festival. The festival's theme that year was "Out of Africa: The Three Journeys." This event celebrated African culture and its influence.

Work in Law and Policy

He also chaired the Legislative and Public Policy Task Force. This group was part of the Earl Carl Institute. It is located at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. This work involved looking at laws and how they affect people.

About His Life

Education and Family

Jew Don Boney Jr. is the son of J. Don Boney, an educator from Calvert, Texas, and Clara Bernice Payne from Houston. He studied at Texas Southern University (TSU). He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communication with high honors. He also received a Master of Arts in Communications from TSU. Later, he earned an Executive Masters of Public Administration from TSU's Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs. He is also a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum.

Mr. Boney has three adult children. He is married to Dorca Medina.