Benjamin Chavis

Who is Benjamin Chavis?

Benjamin Chavis is an African American civil rights leader. He was born Benjamin Franklin Chavis, Jr. on January 22, 1948 in Oxford, North Carolina. In his youth, Dr. Chavis was an assistant to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who inspired him to work in the civil rights movement.

At the age of 24, Dr. Chavis rose to international prominence after being convicted of arson as the leader of the Wilmington Ten. Sentenced to 34 years in prison, he was freed in 1980 when a federal appeals court overturned the group's convictions. He became a Vice President of the National Council of Churches.

Dr. Chavis became the Executive Director of the NAACP, and he served as the National Director of the Million Man March, as well as the Founder and CEO of the National African American Leadership Summit. Since 2001 he has been CEO and Co-Chairman of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, in New York City which he cofounded with hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. Dr. Chavis joined with Ezell Brown in 2009 to establish Education Online Services Corporation which is headquartered in Coral Springs, Florida. In 2011, Dr. Chavis collaborated with multi-platinum music producer and author Sahpreem A. King on "Surviving the Game: How to Succeed in the Music Business" where Dr. Chavis is credited as author of the foreword and technical advisor.