A veteran social and political activist, Dr. Ron Daniels was an independent candidate for president of the United States in 1992. He served as the executive director of the National Rainbow Coalition in 1987 and the southern regional coordinator and deputy campaign manager for Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign in 1988. He holds a B.A. in History from Youngstown State University, an M.A. in Political Science from the Rockefeller School of Public Affairs in Albany, New York and a Doctor of Philosophy in Africana Studies from the Union Institute and University in Cincinnati.  Dr. Daniels is a Distinguished Lecturer Emeritus at York College, City University of New York.

From 1993 to 2005, Dr. Daniels served as the first African-American executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR). During his tenure, CCR emerged as a major force in the fight against police brutality and misconduct, church burnings, hate crimes, voter disenfranchisement, environmental racism and the threats to civil liberties posed by the government’s response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack.

In June 1995, Dr. Daniels led an African-American fact finding and support delegation/mission to Haiti. As a result of the visit, the Haiti Support Project (HSP) was created to mobilize ongoing political and material support for democracy and development in Haiti. HSP has emerged as the leading African-American organization working to build a constituency for Haiti in the U.S.

A prolific essayist and commentator, Dr. Daniels’ column Vantage Pointappears in numerous Black and progressive newspapers and websites nationwide.  He is the host of a weekly, issue-oriented public affairs talk show on WBAI, 99.5 FM on the Pacifica Network in New York and serves as an occasional guest host on Make It Plain with Mark Thompson, SIRIUSXM Progress 127.      

Dr. Daniels is the founder and president of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century, a progressive, African-centered, action-oriented resource center dedicated to empowering people of African descent and marginalized communities.