Anthony Asadullah Samad, Ph.D., is an award winning author, columnist and scholar known for his fiery analysis of social, political and economic issues that impact American society. As one of the most read featured columnists in the African American press over the past 15 years, Dr. Samad’s various weekly editorial commentaries contributes to newspapers and cyber websites nationwide, including a regular feature column on www.Blackcommentator.com.

An Associate Professor of Political Science and African American Studies at East Los Angeles College, Samad has a Master’s of Arts in Public Administration (Public Finance specialization) from the University of Southern California, a second Master’s of Arts Degree, in Political Economy, from the Claremont Graduate University’s School of Politics and Economics, and has a Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University, completing his doctoral study, with a dissertation, entitled, “Legal and Policy Interpretations of the Fourteenth Amendment in the Post Brown Era: A 50 Year Case Study on the Policy Implementation Challenges of Brown v. Board of Education.”

Dr. Samad is President of Samad and Associates, a strategic planning/ urban affairs firm specializing in the assessment and management of public policy, economic development, urban, social and race issues. His firm’s twenty year efforts has generated over $300 million in economic development opportunities in urban and rural communities nationwide. A former NAACP Branch President (Los Angeles, CA 1988-1989), Dr. Samad’s community involvement includes currently serving as the managing director and host of the Urban Issues Forum of Greater Los Angeles—a popular monthly public affairs forum (www.urbanissuesforum.com) that, for the past eight years, invites national and local newsmakers to discuss critical issues impacting urban communities—and as President and Chairman of the Board of 100 Black Men of Los Angeles, Inc. His other civic memberships include being a member of Phi Beta Sigma and Sigma Pi Phi fraternities as well as the Prince Hall Masons. He has received over 150 awards and citations for his community advocacy work, including the prestigious “Drum Major Award” from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles awarded on King Holiday, January 15, 2007.

And finally, Dr. Anthony Asadullah Samad is the author of three books; the Essence magazine bestseller, Souls For Sale: The Diary of An Ex-Colored Man (Kabili Press, 2002), and his current release, 50 Years After Brown: The State of Black Equality In America (Kabili Press, 2005) which also made several bestseller lists (including Essence Magazine). 50 Years After Brown: The State of Black Equality In America received the Los Angeles Black Book Expo’s 2005 Best Non-Fiction Book Award, was selected as one of the top ten Non-Fiction Black book titles of 2005 by the African American Literary Book Club, and was nominated for a 2006 NAACP Image Award for Most Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction. Dr. Samad has two forthcoming books; a book of inspirational wisdom for young black males (particularly the re-entry population) in September, 2007, entitled, Saving The Race: Empowerment Through Wisdom. A fourth book, a collection of life essays on popular culture is due out in late 2008.

Dr. Samad, his wife and family, currently reside in Southern California. His current writings and commentaries can be read at www.AnthonySamad.com.