Shaun King facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shaun King
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King in 2023
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| Born |
Jeffery Shaun King
September 17, 1979 |
| Alma mater | Morehouse College (BA) Arizona State University (MA) |
| Occupation |
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| Political party | Independent (2016–present) Democratic (until 2016) |
| Movement | Black Lives Matter |
| Spouse(s) |
Rai King
(m. 2001) |
| Children | 5 |
Jeffery Shaun King (born September 17, 1979) is an American writer and activist. He is known for using social media to support causes related to social justice. He especially focuses on the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States.
Shaun King grew up in Kentucky. He earned his first college degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. After teaching high school for a short time, he became a pastor. In 2008, he started the Courageous Church in Atlanta. He led this church for four years. During this time, King began several online campaigns. One of these was HopeMob.org, which he helped create. He later earned a master's degree from Arizona State University.
As a writer, King has shared his thoughts in various places. He wrote for Daily Kos, the New York Daily News, and The Young Turks. In 2018, King helped start the Real Justice PAC. He also launched The North Star website. In 2020, he founded a non-profit group called Grassroots Law Project.
Over time, King has faced questions about how money was managed. Some people wondered if funds raised from donors always reached the people they were meant for. The Grassroots Law Project also faced questions about the salaries paid to King and his team. There were also concerns about the progress of their main projects. In 2023, King was involved in another situation. He made claims about helping to free hostages during the Israel–Hamas war. However, the families of the released hostages said his claims were not true.
Contents
Shaun King: An Activist for Change
Early Life and Education
Growing Up in Kentucky
Jeffery Shaun King was born in Franklin, Kentucky. He grew up in Versailles, Kentucky. His birth certificate names Jeffery Wayne King as his father. However, King said in 2015 that his mother told him his biological father was a light-skinned Black man. By second grade, his mother, Naomi Kay (Fleming) King, raised Shaun and his brother by herself. King went to Huntertown Elementary School. He also attended Woodford County High School.
King has shared that he experienced racism and hate crimes while growing up. He told reporters about a time when a pickup truck tried to run him over at school. King said that school authorities protected the youths instead of punishing them. He also recalled a second attack. He claimed that a group of "rednecks" beat him. He said his injuries caused him to miss parts of two years of high school. This was due to several spinal surgeries. King described this attack as a racially motivated hate crime.
In 2015, some news outlets questioned King's story. They cited interviews with a detective and police reports. These reports described the fight as a one-on-one fight between King and another boy. It was reportedly over a girl, and King had minor injuries. However, a band teacher, two former classmates, and King's wife supported his account. They shared their memories of the event on Facebook.
College Years
King went to Morehouse College. This is a private, historically black men's college. It is located in Atlanta, Georgia. He studied history there. In 1999, King was chosen to be the president of the student government association. During his studies, he had to take a break for medical reasons. When he returned, he was named an Oprah Winfrey Scholar by Morehouse. In 2018, King earned a master's degree in history. He received this from Arizona State University.
His Career Journey
From Pastor to Journalist
After college, King worked as a high school civics teacher for about a year. Then, he worked in Atlanta's system for young people who had committed crimes. King later left teaching to become a pastor. He worked at Total Grace Christian Center in DeKalb County, Georgia. King said he was inspired to become a pastor in high school. While he was recovering from injuries after an attack, his best friend's father, who was a pastor, visited him often. King remembered growing up without a father figure. He said, "I just found myself so impacted by this man coming to visit me that I wanted to be like him.”
In 2008, King started a church in Atlanta called "Courageous Church." He used social media to find new members. He became known as the "Facebook Pastor." In 2012, King left the Courageous Church. He said it was due to personal stress and feeling disappointed.
Writing and Online Projects
King has written a lot about his experiences as a biracial person. He also writes about the Black Lives Matter movement. This movement became well-known after the events following the shooting of Michael Brown. Shaun wrote an article about the Brown crime scene. He argued that the evidence suggested the officer's life was not in danger during the shooting.
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In September 2014, King became a writer for the liberal website, the Daily Kos. On October 2, 2015, King joined the New York Daily News. He worked as a senior justice writer. He focused on reporting and sharing his thoughts on social justice, police brutality, and race relations. On December 28, 2016, Cenk Uygur announced that King would be a political commentator for The Young Turks. King left the Daily News in 2016.
In 2019, King launched The North Star website. This site was funded by many people. He called it an online "revival" of the old anti-slavery newspaper. He claimed he had the support of Frederick Douglass's relatives. The site offers articles, podcast episodes, and videos for a fee. It focuses on social justice issues. These include police brutality and mass incarceration.
The Daily Beast reported that the site did not deliver all the features promised during fundraising. These included a daily video broadcast and an app. King said he had been "overzealous" with the project. He admitted he should have listened to advisors who said his plans were too big. After leaving The North Star, a historian and former editor-in-chief, Keisha Blain, criticized King on Twitter. She said he was "a liar & a fraud." She also said she was prevented from saying this because of a special agreement. Another former employee claimed they had to fight for months to get health care benefits they were promised. King, however, said all employees received full health care coverage. Former co-workers at The North Star described King as someone who struggled with managing money. They also said he was often absent and not very good at his job, according to The Daily Beast.
His Work in Politics
King left the Democratic Party after the 2016 election. He claimed there was corruption and a lack of fairness during the 2016 primaries. In 2018, Shaun King expressed different opinions about Kamala Harris. He said he did not plan to support her or Joe Biden in the 2020 Democratic primaries. This was because of their past views on criminal justice. He later changed his mind. He tweeted that he was "incredibly proud to see a brilliant Black woman, and HBCU grad, chosen as a Vice Presidential nominee.”
Personal Life
King is married and has five children. Three of his children were born to him and his wife. Two others were adopted. He has also had foster children, nieces, and nephews living with him. In March 2024, just before Ramadan, King and his wife, Rai King, officially converted to Islam. They had been Christian before. This happened with Palestinian-American imam Omar Suleiman present.
