Robert L. Woodson, Sr. is Founder and President of the Woodson Center and an influential leader on issues of poverty alleviation and empowering disadvantaged communities to become agents of their own uplift. He is a frequent advisor to local, state and federal government officials as well as business and philanthropic organizations. His social activism dates back to the 1960s, when as a young civil rights activist he developed and coordinated national and local community revitalization programs. During the 1970’s he directed the National Urban League’s Administration of Justice division. Later he served as a Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Woodson is frequently featured as a social commentator in print and on-air media. He is a contributing editor to The Hill and The Wall Street Journal, and has published in several influential newspapers and journals, and other national and local media outlets. He is the recipient of many awards and honors. And Woodson is the author of several books.