Keith Boykin

Keith Boykin
Born
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Education
Occupations
  • TV/film producer
  • political commentator
  • writer
Children2
Websitekeithboykin.com

Keith Boykin is an American TV and film producer, national political commentator, author, and former White House aide to President Bill Clinton.[1] He has made much of this public in his 2022 memoir, Quitting: Why I Left My Job to Live a Life of Freedom.[2]

Early life

Boykin was raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and later attended Countryside High School in Clearwater, Florida.[1]

During his time in St. Louis, Boykin primarily resided in the mostly white suburb of Florissant. Early on, he developed an interest in government and leadership. He participated in student government and several sports including track-and-field and wrestling.[1]

At the age of fifteen, Boykin moved to Florida with his father, William O. Boykin, who relocated to the state to start a beauty supply business.[3] Despite the move, Keith became the president of his school's student government as well as an editor of the school newspaper.[1] He was also an award-winning debater and varsity track-and-field athlete.[1]

Keith matriculated at Dartmouth College in 1983.[1] In 1984, he was awarded the William S. Churchill Prize for outstanding freshman. Then, in 1987, he won the Barrett Cup for the most distinguished member of the graduating class.[1]

After graduating from Dartmouth, Boykin worked for Michael Dukakis's presidential campaign from June 1987 to November 1988.[4] Later, he began his studies at Harvard Law School in 1989.[1] While at Harvard, he edited the Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review journal.[1] He also participated in The Coalition for Civil Rights, a student group dedicated to diversifying the law school's faculty.[5] While a member of that group, he joined ten other students in a racial discrimination lawsuit against the law school.[6][7]

Career

After graduating from Harvard in 1992, Boykin began working at a San Francisco law firm where he had previously interned. However, he left that position in order to work for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign as the Midwest Press Director.[1]

Following Bill Clinton's victory in 1992, Boykin joined the Clinton White House as a Special Assistant to the President. He also served as Director of News Analysis. After some time in that role, he was promoted to Director of Specialty Media.[4] In April 1993, Boykin helped to arrange the first meeting between an acting U.S. president and representatives from the LGBTQ community.[1][8] That meeting included 8 members drawn from three LGBTQ organizations: The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership forum, and the March on Washington Committee.[1]

Boykin left his role at the White House in January 1995 in order to write his first book, One More River to Cross: Black and Gay in America, which detailed the special burdens black LGBTQ people experience.[1] Later, he would write Beyond the Down Low: Sex, Lies, and Denial in Black America, a New York Times bestseller.[1]

In late 1995, Boykin became the executive director of the National Black Gay and Lesbian Forum, a national non-profit dedicated to the uplift of Black Gays and Lesbians.[1] In Quitting, Boykin describes his time with the organization as an important professional experience. He writes: "we organized a historic contingent in the Million Man March, held 3 national conferences, opened an office in the nation's capital, hired a small staff, and hosted popular community events in Washington."[4]

Boykin spoke at the Millennium March on Washington for LGBTQIA rights in 2000.[9]

From 1999 to 2001, Boykin taught Political Science as an adjunct professor at American University in Washington, D.C.[1] In 2001, Boykin left American University to move to New York City where he co-founded the National Black Justice Coalition in 2003.[1] According to the NBJC website, the organization's mission is to "end racism, homophobia, and LGBTQ/SGL bias and stigma."[10]

In 2004, Keith Boykin and his partner at the time, Nathan Hale Williams, made television history as the first openly black gay couple to appear on a reality television show, when they appeared on the Showtime reality TV series "American Candidate."[11][12]

In 2005, Minister Louis Farrakhan invited Keith to speak during the tenth anniversary commemoration of the Million Man March.[2][13] At the last minute, however, the invitation was rescinded without a clear explanation. One of the leaders of the March, the Reverend Willie F. Wilson, objected to Boykin's presence.[2][14]

In February 2006, Boykin became co-host of the TV series "My Two Cents" on the BET J channel.[1] My Two Cents was promoted as an "urban current events" show which explored topical issues relevant to black audiences.[1] He also worked as an associate producer of the 2006 film "Dirty Laundry."[15]

From 2008 to 2016, Boykin served as a contributor for CNBC.[1] From January 2017 until January 2022, Boykin served as contributor for CNN.[1] He has appeared on several other broadcast news outlets such as VH1, BET, MSNBC, Fox News, NPR.[1]

In addition, Boykin has made appearances on numerous other television shows such as The Montel Williams Show, The Dennis Miller Show, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, Tony Brown's Journal, and Anderson Cooper 360.[1] He has also been featured on the cover of several publications including A&U, Out and The Advocate, and he was selected as one of Out Magazine's "Out 100" in 2004.[16] He has also been featured or quoted in articles in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, VIBE, and Jet.[1] He has also appeared on BET's "Being Mary Jane" in 2014.[17]

Some of the publications he has written for include The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Village Voice, the San Francisco Chronicle, the St. Petersburg Times, The Advocate, Black Issues Book Review, and The Crisis.[1][18][19] His syndicated column appeared in several newspapers across the country, including The New York Blade, the Washington Blade, Southern Voice, and the Houston Voice.[1]

Personal life

Boykin's great-great-grandfather, Rev. John H. Dickerson an A.M.E. Pastor, served as the grand master of the Prince Hall Affiliated Masons of Florida from 1899 until 1916. He led the erecting of the Masonic Temple on 410 Broad Street.[20] He was also the chairman of the 1912 Florida State Republican Convention.[21] Boykin's great-grandfather, Horatio Dickerson, served in an all-black military infantry known as the Harlem Hellfighters (The 369th Infantry Regiment, originally formed as the 15th New York National Guard Regiment ) from 1917 until 1919.[22] Boykin's grandfather, John H. Dickerson Sr., served as principal of Campbell Street Elementary School in Daytona Beach, Florida.[23]

In 1996, Boykin revealed his sexual orientation in the book One More River to Cross: Black & Gay in America.[24]

In 2006, Boykin won a gold medal in wrestling at the 2006 Gay Games.[25]

Boykin met his biological father, John Dickerson, a chemist for Miami-Dade Pollution Center, in 2015.[26][27]

After the death of Cuban leader Fidel Castro in December 2016, Boykin attended Castro's funeral procession in Santiago de Cuba with his Cuban partner and watched the remains of the leader pass through the Plaza de Marte.[28][29]

In 2022, Boykin moved to Los Angeles but he also maintained his residence in New York City. He has two godsons whom he considers his 'sons'.[4]

Published works

  • One More River to Cross: Black & Gay in America, Anchor Publisher, 1996, ISBN 978-0385479837
  • "Respecting the Soul: Daily Reflections for Black Lesbians and Gays", Avon Books, April 1, 1999, ISBN 0380800217
  • "Beyond the Down Low: Sex, Lies, and Denial in Black America", Carroll & Graf, December 13, 2004, ISBN 0786714344[30]
  • "For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Still Not Enough", Magnus Books, August 28, 2012, ISBN 1936833158
  • "Race Against Time: The Politics of a Darkening America", Bold Type Books, September 14, 2021, ISBN 978-1645037262
  • "Quitting: Why I Left My Job to Live a Life of Freedom," Scribd Originals, October 12, 2022, ISBN 978-1094451107
  • "Why Does Everything Have to Be About Race?", Bold Type Books, January 23, 2024, ISBN 978-1541703315

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Rapp, Linda (October 26, 2022). "glbtq archive" (PDF). glbtq archive. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Quitting by Keith Boykin - Ebook | Scribd.
  3. ^ Quitting by Keith Boykin - Ebook | Scribd.
  4. ^ a b c d Quitting by Keith Boykin - Ebook | Scribd.
  5. ^ Boykin, Keith (July 20, 2021). "This was the day I became an activist..." Twitter. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  6. ^ Boykin, Keith (July 21, 2021). ""Today we use the only instrument of power Harvard Law School seems to understand"..." Twitter. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  7. ^ Lee, Philip. "The Griswold 9 and Student Activism for Faculty Diversity at Harvard Law School in the Early 1990s" (PDF). Harvard Journal of Racial an Ethnic Justice. 27: 49–96.
  8. ^ Kratz, Jessie (2016-06-14). "National Archives Celebrates Pride Month". Pieces of History. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  9. ^ Keith Boykin Speaks At The Millennium March on Washington. Keith Boykin. December 25, 2008. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ "About Us_". NBJC. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  11. ^ "Nathan Hale". IMDb. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  12. ^ American Candidate (Reality-TV), Actual Reality Pictures, Showtime Networks, 2004-08-01, retrieved 2022-11-14
  13. ^ Boykin, Keith (1995-10-23). "OPEN FORUM -- Gays and the Million Man March". SFGATE. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  14. ^ "Farrakhan march nixes out gay speaker". Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  15. ^ Dirty Laundry (2006) - IMDb, retrieved 2022-11-14
  16. ^ "out100". www.out.com. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  17. ^ "Being Mary Jane" Blindsided (TV Episode 2014) - IMDb, retrieved 2022-11-14
  18. ^ "There's a Better Approach to H.I.V. Prevention". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  19. ^ "Perspective | Biden waited too long to engage on voting rights. It'll cost him — and voters". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  20. ^ "State Archives of Florida".
  21. ^ Boykin, Keith (May 26, 2017). "My great great grandfather, John H. Dickerson, was the chairman of the 1912 Florida State Republican Convention". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  22. ^ Boykin, Keith (November 11, 2018). "As we mark the Armistice of the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" that ended WWI 100 years ago today..." Twitter. Archived from the original on 2021-01-10. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  23. ^ "2022 Black History Icons | Daytona Beach, FL - Official Website". www.codb.us. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  24. ^ "One More River to Cross by Keith Boykin: 9780385479837 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  25. ^ "Gay Games VII: Sweating in the Windy City". www.wrestlerswob.com. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  26. ^ "Keith Boykin on Instagram: "The first time I met my biological father, John Dickerson, in 2015. 🤎 Happy Father's Day!"". Instagram. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  27. ^ "John Henry Dickerson Jr.'s Obituary (1938 - 2016) Daytona Beach News-Journal". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  28. ^ Havana, Associated Press in (2016-11-30). "Cubans say goodbye to Fidel Castro's ashes in four-day funeral procession". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  29. ^ Boykin, Keith (December 3, 2016). "The remains of Fidel Castro pass through the Plaza de Marte moments ago in Santiago de Cuba, where he will be buried tomorrow". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  30. ^ Bond, Mindy (June 8, 2005). "Gothamist". Gothamist. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2013.

Read other articles:

7 Seeds

7 Seeds7SEEDS セブンシーズ(Sebun Shīzu) MangaPengarangYumi TamuraPenerbitShogakukanPenerbit bahasa IndonesiaElex Media KomputindoMajalahBetsucomi, FlowersDemografiShōjo, JoseiTerbitNovember 2001 – Juli 2017Volume35 (Daftar volume) Animasi web orisinalSutradaraYukio TakahashiSkenarioTouko MachidaStudioGonzoPelisensiNetflixTayangJuni 2019  Portal anime dan manga 7 Seeds (セブンシーズcode: ja is deprecated , Sebun Shīzu) adalah sebuah seri manga Jepang yang ditulis dan ...

 

 

Bhutan

För kolväteföreningen, se Butan. Konungariket Bhutanའབྲུག་རྒྱལ་ཁབ་Brug Rgyal-khab Flagga Nationalsång: Druk tsendhen läge Huvudstad(även största stad) Thimphu Officiellt språk Dzongkha Demonym bhutanes[1] Statsskick Konstitutionell monarki  -  Kung Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck  -  Premiärminister Tshering Tobgay Självständighet från Indien   -  Erkänd 8 augusti 1949  Yta  -  Totalt 38&...

 

 

Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law

Nonprofit organization Founded2012FounderKenneth L. MarcusFocusJewish Civil and Human Rights and Israel advocacy[1]LocationWashington D.C.PresidentAlyza D. Lewin[2]Board of directorsAlyza D. Lewin, Adam S. Feuerstein, Richard Cravatts, Tevi Troy, L. Rachel Lerman[3]Websitebrandeiscenter.com The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (LDB) is a 501(c)(3)[4] nonprofit organization founded by Kenneth L. Marcus in 2012 to advance the civil and hum...

Suriname

Pour les articles homonymes, voir Suriname (homonymie). République du Suriname(nl) Republiek Suriname Drapeau du Suriname Armoiries du Suriname Devise en latin : Justitia, Pietas, Fides (« Justice, Piété, Foi ») Hymne en néerlandais : God zij met ons Suriname (« Dieu soit avec notre Suriname ») Fête nationale 25 novembre · Événement commémoré Indépendance vis-à-vis des Pays-Bas (1975) Administration Forme de l'État Répu...

 

 

Perim

Perimبريم BarīmGeografia fisicaLocalizzazioneMar Rosso Coordinate12°39′36″N 43°25′12″E / 12.66°N 43.42°E12.66; 43.42Coordinate: 12°39′36″N 43°25′12″E / 12.66°N 43.42°E12.66; 43.42 Superficie13 km² Altitudine massima65 m s.l.m. Geografia politicaStato Yemen  Governatorato di Ta'izz DemografiaAbitanti0 (2008) CartografiaPerim voci di isole dello Yemen presenti su Wikipedia Perim (in arabo بريم Barīm) è un'is...

 

 

Pratighatana

1985 Indian filmPratighatanaTheatrical release posterDirected byT. KrishnaWritten byT. KrishnaM. V. S. Haranatha Rao (dialogues)Story byT. KrishnaProduced byRamoji RaoStarringVijayshantiChandra MohanKota Srinivasa RaoSai KumarP. L. NarayanaCharan RajSuthi VeluRajasekharNarra Venkateswara RaoY. VijayaMusic byK. ChakravarthyProductioncompanyUshakiran MoviesRelease date 11 October 1985 (1985-10-11) CountryIndiaLanguageTelugu Pratighatana (transl. Resistance) is a 1985 India...

Clipstone F.C.

Association football club in England Football clubClipstone F.C.Full nameClipstone Football ClubNickname(s)The CobrasFounded1928GroundLido Ground, ClipstoneCapacity500 (100 seated)[1]ChairmanRichard ClareyManagerIan CottonLeagueUnited Counties League Division One2023–24United Counties League Division One, 2nd of 21WebsiteClub website Home colours Away colours Clipstone Football Club is a football club based in Clipstone, Nottinghamshire, England. They are currently members of the Un...

 

 

مجتمع بدائي

أحد الأكواخ التي كانت تستخدم من قبل المجتمعات البدائيه يستخدم الباحثون في العلوم الاجتماعية، ولاسيما علوم الاجتماع والأنتروبولوجية تعبير المجتمع البدائي (Primitive society) للدلالة على معان متقاربة في وجوه ومتباعدة في وجوه أخرى، فيلاحظ استخدام هذا التعبير للدلالة على المجتمعات...

 

 

Contrabass clarinet

Very low pitched instrument of the clarinet family Contrabass clarinetClarinets: contrabass in B♭ (left), contra-alto in E♭ (right)Woodwind instrumentClassification Single-reedDeveloped1808Playing range The contrabass clarinet in B♭ sounds two octaves and a major second lower than written.Related instruments Contra-alto clarinet Bass clarinet Musicians List of clarinetists The contrabass clarinet (also pedal clarinet, after the pedals of pipe organs) and contra-alto clarinet are the tw...

1818–19 United States House of Representatives elections

House elections for the 16th U.S. Congress 1818–19 United States House of Representatives elections ← 1816 & 1817 April 26, 1818 – August 12, 1819[a] 1820 & 1821 → All 186[b] seats in the United States House of Representatives94 seats needed for a majority   Majority party Minority party   Leader Henry Clay John Sergeant Party Democratic-Republican Federalist Leader's seat Kentucky 2nd Pennsylvania 1st Last electi...

 

 

Green Lantern

Multiple superheroes from the DC universe This article is about the fictional characters. For other uses, see Green Lantern (disambiguation). Green LanternCover of Green Lantern: Rebirth #6 (May 2005)Pictured left to right: Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Kilowog.Art by Ethan Van Sciver.PublisherDC ComicsFirst appearanceAll-American Comics #16 (July 1940)Created byAlan Scott:Martin NodellBill Finger Hal Jordan:John BroomeGil KaneJohn Stewart:Dennis O'NeilNeal AdamsChar...

 

 

Charles Petty-Fitzmaurice, 9th Marquess of Lansdowne

British peer, landowner and army officer The Most HonourableThe Marquess of LansdowneLVO DLMember of Wiltshire County CouncilIn office1970–1985 Personal detailsBornCharles Maurice Petty-Fitzmaurice (1941-02-21) 21 February 1941 (age 83)NationalityBritishPolitical partyConservativeSpouses Lady Frances Helen Mary Eliot ​ ​(m. 1965; div. 1987)​ Fiona Mary Merritt ​(after 1987)​ Parent(s)George Petty-Fitzmauri...

Heaven's Gate (religious group)

American UFO religion and cult (1974–1997) For the 1980 film, see Heaven's Gate (film). For other uses, see Heaven's Gate (disambiguation). Heaven's GateOfficial logoTypeNew religious movementClassificationUFO religionOrientationChristian millenarianism, New Age, UfologyScriptureBibleLeadersBonnie Nettles (1974–1985)Marshall Applewhite (1974–1997)RegionUnited StatesHeadquarters Manzano, New Mexico (1995–1996) San Diego, California (1996–1997) FounderMarshall Applewhite and Bonnie Ne...

 

 

العلاقات اليمنية التركية

يفتقر محتوى هذه المقالة إلى الاستشهاد بمصادر. فضلاً، ساهم في تطوير هذه المقالة من خلال إضافة مصادر موثوق بها. أي معلومات غير موثقة يمكن التشكيك بها وإزالتها. (ديسمبر 2018) العلاقات اليمنية التركية     تركيا   اليمن السفارات سفارة اليمن في تركيا سفارة تركيا في اليم�...

 

 

何雁詩

  提示：此条目页的主题不是何韻詩。 何雁詩女艺人罗马拼音Ho Ngan Si英文名Stephanie Ho昵称Step、Steph、雁詩、阿詩、詩詩、何雁C国籍 美国 中华人民共和国（香港）籍贯廣東省江門出生 (1992-11-02) 1992年11月2日（31歲） 美国加利福尼亞州聖荷西[1]职业歌手、演員、高爾夫球運動員、主持、藝人语言粵語、英語、普通話教育程度香港理工大學酒店及旅遊業管理...

Innernzell

Innernzell Pemandangan Innernzell Lambang kebesaranLetak Innernzell NegaraJermanNegara bagianBayernWilayahNiederbayernKreisFreyung-GrafenauMunicipal assoc.SchönbergPemerintahan • MayorJosef Kern (CSU)Luas • Total22,13 km2 (854 sq mi)Ketinggian636 m (2,087 ft)Populasi (2013-12-31)[1] • Total1.573 • Kepadatan0,71/km2 (1,8/sq mi)Zona waktuWET/WMPET (UTC+1/+2)Kode pos94548Kode area telepon08554Pelat kendar...

 

 

Socialism in one country

Political theory by Joseph Stalin This article relies excessively on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources. Find sources: Socialism in one country – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Part of a series onMarxism–Leninism Concepts Administrative-command system Anti-imperialism Anti-revisionism Central planning Soviet-type ec...

 

 

Novela

Para otros usos de este término, véase Novela (desambiguación). No debe confundirse con Telenovela. Portada de la primera edición del Quijote (1605), probablemente la primera novela moderna. La novela (del italiano novella) es una obra literaria en la que se narra una acción fingida en su totalidad o en parte y cuyo fin es causar placer estético a los lectores con la descripción, pintura de sucesos o lances interesantes así como de personajes, pasiones y costumbres, que en muchos cas...

水上生活者

香港、ランタオ島大澳にある「棚屋」と呼ばれる水上家屋[1]。現在は観光地となっている インドネシア、リアウ諸島のマレー式水上家屋、ケロン（インドネシア語版、英語版）（Kelong）。浅い海底に杭を打った上に建てている 水上生活者（すいじょうせいかつしゃ）とは、船上や水上の建造物などで生活の大半を行う者をいう。 概要 水の上で生活を営む形態は�...

 

 

George Thomson (shipbuilder)

Scottish marine engineer and shipbuilder For other people with the same name, see George Thomson (disambiguation). Thomson's tomb at the Southern Necropolis in Glasgow George Thomson (25 March 1815 – 29 June 1866) was a Scottish marine engineer and shipbuilder, born at Partick, Glasgow. He served his apprenticeship with a Mr. Graham in Partick before entering the works of Mr. Robert Napier, where he quickly gained the best knowledge in marine engineering available. He then went into busines...