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Biography · Civil Rights

Benjamin Hooks

1925–2010

United States

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Biography

Benjamin Lawson Hooks (January 31, 1925 – April 15, 2010) was an American civil rights leader and government official. A Baptist minister and practicing attorney, he served as executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 1977 to 1992. Throughout his career, Hooks was a vocal campaigner for civil rights in the United States, and served from July 5, 1972 – July 25, 1977 as the first African American member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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