Ron Dellums
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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.
Born in Oakland, he received his A.A. from the Oakland City College in 1958, his B.A. from the San Francisco State University in 1960, and his M.S.W. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1962. After serving in the United States Marine Corps from 1954 to 1956, he became a psychiatric social worker and political activist in the African American community beginning in the 1960. 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 to focus on his personal life, and has continued to be an activist in the peace movement.