Benjamin Jealous

Renowned activist, civil rights leader, community organizer and politician Benjamin Jealous outlines what it will take to secure true equality for all Americans and to empower the next generation to lead toward a better future.

With a background in social justice advocacy, Ben brings a unique perspective to his role as Executive Director at the Sierra Club, focusing on issues of environmental justice, climate change, and conservation. Previously he served as the youngest-ever president and CEO of the NAACP, where he spearheaded campaigns to advance civil rights, voting rights, and criminal justice reform. Ben is a passionate advocate for marginalized communities and has dedicated his career to fighting for equality, sustainability, and a healthier planet for future generations.

During his term at the NAACP, Ben created pathbreaking partnerships with conservative leaders and Republican governors to help shrink America's prison system as well as expand voting rights and employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated people. In 2013, The Washington Post hailed him as "one of the nation's most prominent civil rights leaders." He was previously the Executive Director of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, an organization of over two hundred historically black-owned newspapers.

Ben is also a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Reach: 40 Black Men Speak on Living, Leading, and Succeeding, and his latest book is Never Forget Our People Were Always Free: A Parable of American Healing.

A former Rhodes Scholar, Ben is a graduate of Columbia and Oxford Universities and a former visiting professor at Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs.

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