Leonard Jeffries

Who is Leonard Jeffries?

Leonard Jeffries Jr. is an African-American political scientist, historian, educator, master-teacher/administrator and Pan-Africanist. He was chairman of the Department of Black Studies and professor of Black Studies at the City College of New York, part of the City University of New York.

He was born and raised in Newark, NJ where as a young man, he first developed his leadership skills and Pan-African consciousness. After receiving an excellent formal and informal education at outstanding universities, in America and Europe, he has become a leading voice in the African-centered education movement. He is regarded as a foremost authority on Africa, having traveled to the continent, Latin America and the Caribbean more than 100 times on various missions and projects. He speaks fluent French and has taken courses in Portuguese and Russian.

He has recently been appointed the International Executive Director of the Organization of Afro-American Unity, founded in 1964 by El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. Dr. Jeffries and his colleagues plan to build on the vision of Malcolm X and expand the legacy of Pan-Africanism for the 21st century.