Rudolph "Butch" T. Ware III (born 1974), also known as Bilal Ware in the American Muslim community, is an American

associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a position ...

and

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

artist who was the 2024 vice presidential nominee for the

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice. Green party platforms typically embrace Social democracy, social democratic economic policies and fo ...

. He is one half of the hip hop duo Slum Prophecy. Butch was born in Washington DC and raised in Minneapolis, he is a father, a scholar of abolitionism, revolution, and social justice. For the past two decades, Ware has been an active public scholar, especially in response to the

George Floyd George Perry Floyd Jr. (October 14, 1973 – May 25, 2020) was an African-American man who was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an arrest made after a store clerk suspected Floyd had used a counterfeit tw ...

murder in 2020 and the ongoing genocide in Gaza. He has organized teach-ins, community education curricula, and other organizing initiatives. Ware has been vocal as a public intellectual, activist, artist, and organizer, and supports communities across the country and around the world to challenge imperialism, ethnic cleansing, and war. He advocates for building sustainable, peaceful alternatives rooted in African, Indigenous, and Abrahamic traditions. He is currently running for

Governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The Governor (United States), governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constit ...

in the 2026 Gubernatorial election.

Education

Ware received his undergraduate degree from the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

in 1997. He received his PhD in history in 2004 from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

where he was trained in

African History Archaic humans emerged out of Africa between 0.5 and 1.8 million years ago. This was followed by the emergence of modern humans (''Homo sapiens'') in East Africa around 300,000–250,000 years ago. In the 4th millennium BC written history ...

, and Islamic Intellectual History.

Career

A historian of

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

at the

University of California, Santa Barbara The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Tracing its roots back to 1891 as an ...

, he first began teaching at

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

, and later at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. Ware is also one half of the

duo Slum Prophecy. Less than two weeks before he began running for vice president, Slum Prophecy released an album titled ''Aqsa Flood''. He is currently an associate professor in the department of History at the University of California-Santa Barbara, and the founder and director of the Initiative for the Study of Race, Religion, and Revolution ("ISRAR") In August 2024, he was selected by

Jill Stein Jill Ellen Stein (born May 14, 1950) is an American physician, activist, and perennial candidate who was the Green Party of the United States, Green Party's nominee for President of the United States in the Jill Stein 2012 presidential campaign ...

as the vice presidential nominee of the

in the

2024 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 5, 2024. The Republican Party (United States), Republican Party's Ticket (election), ticket—Donald Trump, who was the 45th president of ...

. On November 11, 2024, Ware announced that he would be running in the midterms to become the

Political positions

Gaza war

Ware has likened Hamas's 2023 surprise attack on Israel to

Nat Turner's Rebellion Nat Turner's Rebellion, historically known as the Southampton Insurrection, was a slave rebellion that took place in Southampton County, Virginia, in August 1831. Led by Nat Turner, the rebels, made up of enslaved African Americans, killed b ...

, viewing

Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...

as a resistance group against Israel's illegal occupation. On October 11,

tweeted A tweet (officially known as a post since 2023) is a short status update on the social networking site Twitter (officially known as X since 2023) which can include images, videos, GIFs, straw polls, hashtags, mentions, and hyperlinks. Around ...

"...Oppressed people don't have a RIGHT to resist occupation, we have a RESPONSIBILITY to resist." Informed by

Black radical tradition The Black radical tradition is a philosophical tradition and political ideology with roots in 20th century North America. It is a "collection of cultural, intellectual, action-oriented labor aimed at disrupting social, political, economic, and cult ...

, Ware is an

anti-Zionist Anti-Zionism is opposition to Zionism. Although anti-Zionism is a heterogeneous phenomenon, all its proponents agree that the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, and the movement to create a sovereign Jewish state in the Palestine (region) ...

and believes that

Zionism Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...

is rooted in

white supremacy White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White supremacy has roots in the now-discredited doctrine ...

LGBT+ rights

Dr. Butch Ware is a staunch advocate for LGBTQ+ civil rights, firmly committed to full inclusion, respect, and justice for all communities. He has repeatedly affirmed his support for the life and dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals. Ware acknowledges the historical leadership of LGBTQ+ activists in the fight for social justice and remains dedicated to defending their rights in all spheres of society. His campaign aligns with Green Party values of full bodily autonomy, gender justice, and anti-discrimination protections In an interview with YouTuber The Black Authority in late October 2024, when asked "do you agree with the idea of biological males playing in female sports", Ware stated: "I don't think that biological males should play in female sports. I think it gives an unfair ..competitive advantage." Ware has stated that his comments were taken out of context by media outlets, Tweeting, "The remarks in question, presented in a hostile interview, were misrepresented through selective editing to suggest otherwise. In context, I was engaging in what I thought was a discussion of a nuanced policy on

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

inclusion based on information shared by the IOC, not making a statement against trans inclusion."

Abortion

When questioned on legal limits for

abortion in the United States Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnanc ...

, Dr. Butch Ware affirms support for reproductive rights, aligning with Green Party values that recognize a woman's inalienable right to make decisions about her own body. Ware believes that safe, legal, and accessible abortion is a fundamental right, and that restricting access disproportionately harms young, poor, and marginalized women. The Green Party's platform of reproductive rights, which he espouses, includes expanding access to contraception, comprehensive sex education, and public health initiatives to reduce unwanted pregnancies. They support government funding for reproductive healthcare, including abortion services, to ensure that economic barriers do not limit any woman's ability to make choices about her body.

Climate Change

Ware, is a firm advocate for aggressive climate action and a just transition to renewable energy. Deeply aligned with Green Party values, Ware views the climate crisis as a human-made disaster exacerbated by corporate greed and political complicity. He rejects the notion that wildfires, extreme weather, and environmental collapse are mere flukes, instead attributing them to decades of fossil fuel dependence and deregulation. Ware's gubernatorial campaign prioritizes ending California's reliance on fossil fuels, holding corporate polluters accountable, and investing in clean energy solutions. He has criticized both major political parties for bowing to Big Oil, citing the millions of dollars in lobbying that have stalled real climate action. Ware also advocates for climate justice, recognizing that Black, Brown, and working-class communities suffer first and worst from environmental destruction. He has pledged to fight corporate real estate interests that exploit disaster-stricken areas and ensure that recovery efforts center community resilience, sustainable infrastructure, and long-term environmental protections. Through his campaign, Ware aims to dismantle the fossil fuel industry's grip on California politics and usher in a future where environmental policy is driven by science, justice, and public good—not corporate profits.

Immigration

Ware is a staunch advocate for immigrant rights and has centered his campaign on ending California's cooperation with

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE; ) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the Un ...

(ICE). Ware has strongly condemned Governor Gavin Newsom's decision to veto AB 15, a bill aimed at limiting the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's (CDCR) collaboration with ICE. He has criticized the long-standing racial profiling and civil rights violations by ICE, arguing that the agency's actions undermine constitutional protections and disproportionately harm asylum seekers and immigrants fleeing economic, ecological, and political crises—many of which he attributes to U.S. foreign policy and corporate exploitation. He believes that state cooperation with ICE not only disrupts immigrant communities but also erodes public trust in law enforcement, making neighborhoods more vulnerable to systemic injustice. As part of his campaign platform, Ware has pledged to enact policies that shield immigrant communities from federal overreach, advocating for a California government that serves all residents equitably, regardless of immigration status.

Personal life

Ware is a Muslim convert. Ware stated in a podcast with ''The Thinking Muslim'' that he converted to Islam at the age of just 15 after being introduced to it by the

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African American revolutionary, Islam in the United States, Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figur ...

and then reading the

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

. He follows West African

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

traditions and stated that "the Sufi tradition that I know tethers together spirituality with social justice".

Electoral history

Discography

*''Aqsa Flood'' (2024)

Selected publications

* * Reviews of ''The Walking Qur'an'': * Anouk Cohen, ''Bulletin critique des annales islamologiques'' (in French)

* Emad Hamdeh, ''American Journal of Islam and Society'', * Muhammed Haron, ''African Historical Review'', * David E. Skinner, ''Islamic Africa'', , * Alden Young, "A Revisionist History of West Africa", ''Books & Ideas''

Notes

References

External links

Faculty website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ware, Rudolph 1974 births Living people 21st-century American historians 21st-century American male writers 21st-century Muslims 2024 United States vice-presidential candidates African-American candidates for Vice President of the United States African-American Muslims American historians of Islam American male non-fiction writers American Muslim activists American Sufis Anti-Zionism in the United States Converts to Islam Muslims from California Green Party of the United States vice presidential nominees Historians of Africa University of California, Santa Barbara faculty University of Michigan faculty University of Minnesota alumni University of Pennsylvania alumni