Roslyn McCallister Brock (born May 30, 1965) is an

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...

leader,

healthcare Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...

executive, and health activist. She was selected to succeed

Julian Bond Horace Julian Bond (January 14, 1940 – August 15, 2015) was an American social activist, leader of the civil rights movement, politician, professor, and writer. While he was a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, during the ea ...

as chairman of the

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...

on February 20, 2010, becoming the fourth woman and the youngest person to serve in the position.

Early life and education

Brock was born in 1965 in

Fort Pierce Fort Pierce is a city in and the county seat of St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Treasure Coast region of Florida’s Atlantic Coast. It is also known as the Sunrise City. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. She received her

bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ( ...

degree from

Virginia Union University Virginia Union University is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in Richmond, Virginia. History The American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS) founded the school as Rich ...

, graduating ''

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

'' in 1987. She also earned three master's degrees: the first in healthcare administration from

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...

in 1989, the second in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management 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 ...

in 1999, and the third in

divinity Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a single ...

from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in 2009.

Career

Brock worked for ten years in healthcare management at the W. K. Kellogg Foundation in

Battle Creek, Michigan Battle Creek is a city in northwestern Calhoun County, Michigan, United States, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek River, Battle Creek rivers. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a tota ...

. She has served as the vice-president of Advocacy and Government Relations for Bon Secours Health System in Marriottsville, Maryland.

NAACP involvement

Brock joined the NAACP in 1984 as a freshman at Virginia Union University, and she was named a Youth Board Member the following year. Her 1989 master's thesis, under the supervision of NAACP executive director Benjamin Hooks, was entitled "Developing a NAACP Health Outreach Program for Minorities". Beginning in 1991, she initiated health symposia at the annual NAACP National Conventions. She also served as Vice Chairman of the NAACP Health Committee. She was appointed Chair of the Convention Planning Committee in 1999. In February 2001, aged 35, she was unanimously elected Vice Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors. She was the youngest person named to the position and the first woman to serve.

, who had served as NAACP Chairman from 1998, stayed on in the position through 2009 as the organization celebrated its 100th anniversary. Brock was chosen as Bond's successor on February 20, 2010, at the age of 44. She is the youngest person ever to serve as NAACP Chairman.

Memberships

Brock is a member of the Board of Trustees of The

, and past chair of the Board of Advisors of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University, as well as being a member of the Kellogg School of Management Global Advisory Board at

, and Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), the

American Public Health Association The American Public Health Association (APHA) is a Washington, D.C.–based professional membership and advocacy organization for public health professionals in the United States. APHA is the largest professional organization of public health pr ...

and

Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. () is an List of African American fraternities, historically African-American Fraternities and sororities, sorority. The sorority was founded in 1908 at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. Alpha Kappa Alpha ...

sorority.

Personal life

Brock was married to Randall Eugene Brock, who died in 1995. She currently resides in Elkridge, Maryland.

References

External links

NAACP biography

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Brock, Roslyn M. 1965 births Living people People from Fort Pierce, Florida Virginia Union University alumni George Washington University alumni Kellogg School of Management alumni NAACP activists American health activists George Washington University trustees Businesspeople from Maryland People from Elkridge, Maryland