Hilary 0. Shelton presently serves as Director to the Washington Bureau of the NAACP. The Washington Bureau is the Federal Government Affairs and legislative policy division of the 600,000 member, 1,700 branch, national civil rights organization. In this capacity Hilary is responsible for providing legislative advocacy to the issue agenda of the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the United States. Hilary's government affairs portfolio includes Affirmative Action, equal employment protection, Access to Quality Education, stopping gun violence, abolition of the Death penalty, voting rights registration and enforcement, federal sentencing reform and a host of civil rights law enforcement, expansion and protection legislative vehicles.
Prior to working for the NAACP Washington Bureau, Hilary sewed in the position of Federal Liaison, Assistant Director of the Government Affairs department of The College Fund/UNCF, also known as The United Negro College Fund in Washington, D. C. In this capacity, Hilary worked with both Senate and House Members of the U.S. Congress, Federal Government Agencies and Departments, college and university presidents, as well as the White House to secure the survival, growth and educational programming excellence of the 40 private historically black colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Before serving The College Fund/UNCF, Hilary served as program Director for The United Methodist Churches' social justice advocacy agency and The General Board of Church & Society. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri where he grew up with six brothers and sisters. Hilary attended Howard University and the University of Missouri where he received a B.A. Degree in Communication and Political Science. He also holds an A.A. Degree in Legal Sciences from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.
As Program Director for the General Board of Church and Society, Hilary advocated for the 9.5 million member national and international United Methodist Churches' public policy positions on a wide range of issues including: civil rights, civil liberties, access to higher education, the abolition of the death penalty, reforming the criminal justice system, voting rights, gun control and a host of other social justice policy concerns. He presently resides in Washington, D. C with wife Paula Young Shelton, and their two young sons, masters Caleb Wesley and Aaron Joshua Young Shelton.
Hilary serves on the national boards of directors for The Center for Democratic Renewal, The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the National Violence Against Women Task Force. He also serves on the Executive Committees of The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, the Native American Free Exercise of religion Coalition and The National Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
Hilary played an integral role in the crafting and final passage of such crucial legislation as the Civil Rights Act of 1991, The Civil Rights Restoration Act, The Violence Against Women Act, The Hate Crimes Statistics Act, The Native American Free Exercise of Religion Act, The Motor Voter Registration Act, The National Assault Weapons Ban, The Bradley Handgun Law, Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, The Racial Justice Act and many other monumental laws effecting the quality of our lives as well as equality in our society.
