One of the classiest, sincerest, and most charismatic persons I had the pleasure of meeting was Congressman Ronald Vernie Dellums of California.  He came to the university where I worked to discuss Black history and the debt the United States owed the descendants of slaves.  He had been involved in the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 that apologized for the interment of Japanese Americans during World War II and reparations of $20,000 for still-living survivors.  He used this example to base his argument to repair the breach of humanity for slavery and Jim Crow segregation.  He had just ublished his autobiography entitled, Lying Down with the Lions: A Public Life from the Streets of Oakland to the Halls of Power (2000).  He was the first African American to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from northern California.A member of the Democratic Party, Dellums was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus.  The CBC was established to gather Black elected officials together to address issues of concern for Black Americans.  He was candid and straightforward about positions he held, yet sought to persuade others—regardless of party affiliations—of his perspectives.  

In addition to repairing the breach of dignity and respect towards Blacks, Dellums advocated for economic justice and the end of war as an alternative to diplomacy. Although he ran as a Democrat for Congress, he was an avowed socialist.  He did not like how labels were used to demean or discredit another m; however, he believed his views on fairness and equity necessitated a transparency in philosophical presumptions.  He balked at the imperialism of affluent nations, including the United States, and challenged the decision to go to war in different parts of the world.

In addition to his public address in the evening, Dellums sat down with me for a televised interview.  At both venues, he was patient in considering and answering questions with clarity and honesty.

Dellums was a member of the House from 1971 to 1998.  Among the committees he served, he made his mark.  He opposed the U.S. military escalation in Vietnam and sought openness from the intelligence agencies.  In addition to membership on the Armed Services  Committee.  He harshly criticized the use of B-2 bombers, and ultimately helped to prevent the increase in their manufacturing.

Dellums had retired from Congress in 1998, and began work as a lobbyist.  In 2005, with the announcement of the retirement of the mayor of Oakland, CA, a number of residents and associates implored him to run for the vacating post.  In 2007, Dellums became Oakland’s mayor!  Dellums joined the fight to charge the country with committing war crimes.  He could not finger foreign countries while his own violated international law.   As a member of Congress, Dellums had sat on the Foreign Relations Committee.

He was a strong supporter of labor unions and women’s rights.  In addition, he was involved in the rapidly growing conservationist, or environmental, movement.  On several occasions, Dellums was nominated and/or invited to run for President (or Vice President).

As mayor, Dellums became an advocate and sponsor of mass participation in the body politic.  He emphasized job formation and the hiring of locals.  When shootings in Oakland increased, he vowed to decrease crime in the city and was successful at doing so amid harsh criticism.  In addition, he was concerned about racial profiling and police brutality, and sought to punish and prosecute rogue officers.  Furthermore, Dellums worked on narrowing the academic achievement gap Blacks and other people of color experienced by decreasing truancy and reducing high school dropouts.  He was able to receive federal grants for his initiatives and attempted to portray Oakland as a “model city.”

Dellums encountered a lot of naysayers for a variety of reasons.  He was accused of secrecy in his political activities and of failure to pay income taxes.  As a movement to recall him mounted, he eventually elected not to run for a second term in 2010.

On July 30, 2010, Dellums died from prostate cancer at the age of 82.  He was buried with military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.

We can all learn from the life and legacy of this worker for social justice and peace.  Today’s pervasive and persistent divisiveness could benefit from studying the efforts of Dellums to dialogue with others without dissembling and with a graciousness in persuasion and a refined charisma.