JULIAN BOND

Julian Bond was an African-American Civil rights activist and politician who was one of several hundred students who helped form the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Five years later Bond was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives. He was barred from taking his seat in the House because of his outspoken statements against the Vietnam War. In December 1966, the Supreme Court ruled in his favor and he served four terms as Representative and six terms in the Georgia Senate, from 1975-86. During the 1968 presidential election, he was the first African American to be nominated for Vice-President of the United States. He withdrew his name from the ballot, however, because he was too young to serve. Bond continues his calling of activism as Chairman of the NAACP. He also serves as President Emeritus of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Bond was host of "America's Black Forum," the oldest Black-owned show in television syndication, from 1980 until 1997. Currently he is a commentator on the show.

RANDALL ROBINSON

Randall Robinson was born an African-American activist and nationalist. From 1972 to 1975, Robinson was the community development director of the Roxbury Massachusetts Multi-Service Center after which he moved to Washington, D.C., as staff assistant to William L. Clay, U.S. representative from Missouri. From 1976 to 1977, he served as staff attorney for the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights. Following a visit to South Africa, he and the Congressional Black Caucus, at a Black Leadership Conference, recognizing the absence of African voices in international policy making and the general neglect of black countries, established an advocacy group. Thus, in 1977, TransAfrica came into existence with Randall Robinson as its executive director and founder.