2008 Men of Color Roundtable
Men of Color Keynote Speaker
The Men of Color Roundtable, to be held in the ILR Conference Center, will feature Dr. Ronald Walters, a nationally recognized author, scholar and political analyst.
Professor Ronald Walters is one of the most articulate and internationally renowned experts on issues of African American leadership and politics.
After attending Fisk University as an undergraduate, Walters earned his graduate degrees from American University. He has taught at Georgetown and Syracuse Universities; chaired the African and Afro-American Studies Department at Brandeis University and the Political Science Department at Howard University; and worked as professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland. He serves as director of the African American Leadership Institute and Scholar Practitioner Program, and is a distinguished leadership scholar at the James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership.
Walters served as a campaign manager and consultant for the Reverend Jesse Jackson during his two presidential bids and was a policy adviser for Congressmen Charles Diggs and William Gray. During the 2000 election season, Walters worked as a political analyst for Black Entertainment Television's Lead Story. He is a regular guest and commentator for several political talk shows on radio and television.
As a scholar, Walters has penned seven books and published more than 100 academic articles. His books have won several awards for "best book" and he has received many honors for his contributions as an "activist scholar." Walters is noted for his scholarship on the politics of African descendant people in the diaspora, having traveled extensively throughout the black world. He is married to Patricia Ann Walters and resides in Silver Spring, Maryland.