Julian Bond

Bond, Julian (1940– ), U.S. civil rights leader, Democratic member of the Georgia House of Representatives 1965–75, and state senator 1975–87. In 1965, after Bond's election to the Georgia state legislature, fellow members refused him his seat because they objected to his opposition to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. In December, 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Bond's favor. At the 1968 Democratic National Convention, Bond became the first African American to have his name placed in nomination for Vice-President, but he was too young to qualify. In 1971 Bond helped found the Southern Poverty Law Center, which helps protect the legal rights of poor people of all races.

See also: Civil rights.