May 5, 2014

Ben Jealous to Focus on Voter and Economic Empowerment at Center for American Progress
By Hazel Trice Edney

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Former NAACP President/CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous, who recently announced his new position as a venture partner with the Calif.-based Kapor Center for Social Impact, has also joined the Center for American Progress (CAP) as a senior fellow.

In an interview with the Trice Edney News Wire this week, Jealous said he will write op-eds and reports for the non-partisan CAP, focusing on the intersection between democratic and economic power.

“The first report I’ll write will focus on voting rights. It will focus on the future of our country and where we’re headed and ultimately our opportunities through the ballot box to make a more prosperous and inclusive future for our country come faster for all,” Jealous said.  “I’ve always suggested that people vote to take control of the future. Right now when you look throughout many parts of the country, the people who are in control aren’t focused on expanding opportunity and expanding prosperity. They tend to be focused on just the opposite – keeping it constrained to a very small number of people.”

Though Jealous’ has a Kapor Center office in Oakland, Calif., he and his wife, Leah, and their two children, still live in Washington, D.C., where CAP is based. Jealous says there is no conflict between his work with the two organizations and he still maintains time to spend with his family, which is the reason he gave for leaving the NAACP in December.

The CAP fellowship is a volunteer position, which will enable him to continue his thought leadership as an advocate and activist.  

“This is something that sits at the nexus of the work that I do every day as an investor and an organizer to continue to shape the conversation in our country,” he said. "The writing that I will do will help people see the connection between expanding the prosperity for all of us and expanding participation at the ballot box and in government. The two have always gone together. Gaining more power in our democracy, they tend to gain more prosperity in our economy.”

A CAP press release said Jealous will also “focus on tracking political trends impacting civil and human rights and will contribute to developing policy solutions that ensure equity and opportunity for all Americans.”

CAP President Neera Tandan lauded Jealous as having “a long and outstanding history of dedicating his talents toward defending the civil rights of all Americans and is a proven civic leader and public servant. Promoting social and economic fairness and opportunity should be a priority for policymakers across the political spectrum, and we are thrilled to welcome Ben to CAP and look forward to working with him to find innovative solutions to narrowing the gaps in opportunity and achievement for all Americans.”

Jealous, had served as NAACP President/CEO since 2008 when he departed in December. He joined the Kapor Center in March. It uses technology to impact social justice. CAP describes itself as a "nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to promoting a strong, just and free America that ensures opportunity for all.”

Jealous says he will also continue building a political action committee to support “transformative Democratic and Republican candidates.”

He concluded this week, “The things that are worth doing are worth talking about. I’m blessed to be able to contribute to our economy and our democracy in ways that are dynamic and help the future come faster. And I’m excited to be able to focus time on talking about those ideas, spreading those ideas.”