Arnold Aronson

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Arnold Aronson (March 11, 1911 – February 17, 1998) was a founder of the

1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Justice. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998.[1]

Early life and education

Aronson was born in Boston in 1911. He received a B.A. degree from

Harvard in 1933 and an M.S.W. from the University of Chicago.[2]

Aronson was

Jewish.[3][4]

Career in civil rights

In 1945 he became executive director of the National Community Relations Advisory Council, now known as the

Fair Housing Act of 1968.[6]
Although one of the few white leaders involved in planning the 1963 March on Washington, Aronson downplayed his participation. After he retired, he founded The Leadership Conference Education Fund and served as its director until his death.

President Bill Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom on January 15, 1998.

He and his wife Annette had two sons,

Bernard Aronson of Takoma Park, Maryland. His nephew, singer-songwriter and organizer Si Kahn, credits his uncle with helping inspire and shape his own work.[7]

Notes

  1. ^ Eric Fingerhut, "Civil rights proponent Arnold Aronson dies at 86," JWeekly.com, March 6, 1998.
  2. ^ Eric Fingerhut, "Civil rights proponent Arnold Aronson dies at 86," JWeekly.com, March 6, 1998.
  3. ^ "August 25: A. Philip Randolph and Arnie Aronson". Jewish Currents. 2013-08-25. Archived from the original on 2014-07-03. Retrieved 2016-05-08.
  4. ISBN 9781580233538
    .
  5. ^ "About the Leadership Conference". Archived from the original on 27 October 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  6. ^ Richard Severo, "Arnold Aronson, 86, Leader in Struggle for Civil Rights," The New York Times, February 18, 1998.
  7. ^ Si Kahn, Creative Community Organizing (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2010), p. 121.
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