Benjamin Hooks, the first black FCC Commissioner, dies at 85

story and photo by AP

Benjamin Hooks was a pioneer in many fields and a tireless advocate for civil rights for all Americans. He might have even become the first black Chairman of the FCC after Jimmy Carter won the White House in 1976.

The attorney, businessman and ordained minister had broken the color barrier at the FCC with his appointment as a Commissioner in 1972 by Richard Nixon. The New York Times says he was widely expected to be elevated to the Chairmanship in a Democratic administration. Instead, Hooks took over leadership of the NAACP and stayed there, weathering some controversies, for 16 years.

During his time at the FCC, he helped persuade the Small Business Administration to change its policies about lending to broadcasters and he actively pursued the minority tax certificate program. In 2007, Hooks was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush.