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Revision as of 03:02, 8 October 2005 by Ffirehorse (talk | contribs) (capitalization)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Ronald Vernie Dellums (born November 24, 1935), U.S. Democratic Party politician, was a U.S. Representative from California from 1971 until 1999. He was a proponent of reducing military spending, and an advocate of peace and social justice during his time in Congress. His fight against apartheid in South Africa was the subject of a Disney Channel made-for-TV movie, "The Color of Friendship" released in 2000. Dellums is a light-skinned African American.
Dellums was born in Oakland. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1954 to 1956, where he was not recommended to officer training school, due to, Dellums claims, his race.
Dellums later received his A.A. degree from the Oakland City College in 1958, his B.A. from the San Francisco State University in 1960, and his M.S.W. from theUniversity of California, Berkeley in 1962. He became a psychiatric social worker and political activist in the African American community beginning in the 1960s. He also taught at the San Francisco State University and the University of California, Berkeley.
He was elected to the Berkeley City council, serving from 1967 to 1970, and was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1970. He served as chairman of the Committee on District of Columbia and House Armed Services Committee.
He resigned from Congress in 1998, saying he intended to focus on his personal life. Rather than finish his term, Dellums resigned early and appointed his former staff-member Barbara Lee his interim successor. She was subsequently elected in an expensive, low-turnout special election. Other than taking a significant role in the fight against Apartheid in South Africa, Dellums produced little original legislation or memorable work in nearly 30 years of service. He has continued to be an activist in the peace movement and advocate for aid to Africa.
In October, 2005, Dellums announced he would run for mayor of Oakland, California.
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