Ben Jealous
A digital-age organizer who became the youngest-ever NAACP president, bridging historic civil rights activism with modern technology and coalition building.
Born 1973 (age 53)·American civil rights activist and businessman·Birthday: January 18·Generation X
Biography
Ben Jealous represents a new generation of civil rights leadership, one fluent in both protest and Silicon Valley. His path was shaped early; his family's history with discrimination and his work as a journalist investigating prison conditions fueled a deep activism. Before his thirties, he ran the country's largest black newspaper chain. In 2008, at just 35, he was chosen to lead the NAACP, injecting the century-old institution with youthful energy and a tech-savvy approach. His tenure focused on expanding the agenda beyond traditional lines, championing marriage equality, abolishing the death penalty, and launching ambitious voter registration drives. After stepping down, he moved into venture capital, focusing on funding startups led by people of color. His career is a continuous thread of leveraging different platforms—media, advocacy, finance—to advance a singular goal: building a more equitable America.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Ben was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ben Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Ben's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the President and CEO of the NAACP from 2008 to 2013, the youngest person to ever hold the position.
- Led the NAACP's successful campaign to halt the execution of Troy Davis in 2011, mobilizing global attention.
- Oversaw a significant increase in NAACP membership and digital engagement during his presidency.
- As a venture capitalist, he co-founded the firm Kapor Capital to invest in tech startups addressing social inequalities.
Did You Know?
As a student at Columbia University, he was arrested for protesting the university's investments in apartheid South Africa.
He worked as a reporter for the Jackson Advocate, Mississippi's oldest black newspaper, early in his career.
He was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Maryland in 2018, ultimately losing to the incumbent Republican.
““Hope is not magic; hope is work.””
