Biography

Voices of the Tribe

Alan Joplin is a social and political activist and educator. He is an a pundit of the Cultural Ecology and Social Epidemology of community Life, and issues of race and class. He has served as an advisor to neighborhood, city and regional planning organizations in the U.S., and provides services inter-nationally. His research and writings include topics such as the Joplin Scale for Assessing Racial Attitudes, Strategic Planning for Academic Evaluation, Management Notes International(TM), Social and Economic Roles of the City, and the Management Primer.

Alan Joplin has served on the Board of Directors for several professional and community organizations and is active in city, state, and national politics. He has received numerous awards and citations for his work in education, politics and civil rights, including the prestigious Government Achievement Award, presented to him by the East/West Gateway Coordinating Council of Missouri and Illinois. He has received Certificates of Recognition from the American Planning Association and the International Society for Educational Planning for his leadership in the St. Louis Desegregation Plan and the renovation of the city's 150 schools. The Saint Louis Board of Education awarded him their Certificate of Distinguished Recognition. In 1995 he was named Role Model of the Year by the Quad City Times, Davenport, Iowa.

Alan Joplin's passion for justice and yearning to break the bonds of race, class and gender sprang from his roots in Missouri, as well as his education in an alien white academia. He is a committed activist and radical democrat, who demonstrated an early interest in national affairs. He began his political involvement as the Missouri State High School Youth Coordinator for the John F. Kennedy presidential campaign and later served as Midwest Youth Coordinator for Robert Kennedy's presidential election campaign. He also organized the first black college student organization in the state of Missouri.

Burned as a child, never expected to live a normal life he grew up in St. Louis, in less than optimum conditions where the tomorrow's were never better than the yesterdays. He was raised by two very strong black women (Mother and Grandmother) who taught him the value of education and social responsibility early in life.

After a struggle through the catholic and public education system, he was awarded a Danforth Fellowship and earned degrees in Community Studies (BA., Johnston College), Manpower Development (MA., University of Redlands), Behavioral Science (MAT., Webster Univ.) and Public Policy (MS., Southern Illinois Univ.). Additional study was completed at Casa De Los Americas and the Casa De Africa in Havana, Cuba.

Alan Joplin is a veteran of the civil rights movement and was active in groups such as the Black Liberators, the Black Panther Party, Student for a Democratic Society, the Black Mesa Defense fund, Students Non - Violent Coordinating Committee and other political organizations, and participated in demon-strations at Columbia, Berkeley, Attica, Kent State, the March on Washington, and the 1968 Democratic National Convention, to mention only a few.

Highlights of Joplin's professional experiences over the past 30 years include: Multicultural Affairs, Special Needs, Minority over representation in the Prisons, Academic Services, Developmental Studies, Community Education GED, Research Faculty Member, Teaching, Trio Programs, Gallery Curation, Urban Education, Radio Talk Show Host, Program Development in a Homeless Women's Shelter, Housing Development and Construction, Singles Pro-gramming, Consulting and Volunteerism.
Alan Joplin has traveled extensively over the past 30 years throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America and Europe. He travels to Cuba regularly to participate in humanitarian efforts and to conduct educational seminars. He was in Havana during Cuba's first reported democratic election in 1992, the 1993 Mayday celebration the first reported Anti-Castro gathering and during the 1994 uprising and mass exodus.

Alan Joplin recognizes the frustration of stagnation, the malaise of misunder-standing and the need to develop an intense commitment, strategy and blue-print for change. Alan Joplin is distinctly qualified to address the issues at hand. He knows that the place to address it, the place to take that first step in the journey toward equality and peace is with you the thinker, do-er, and future leaders of this diverse nation. Today, he teaches, consults and conducts workshops and seminars on education, management, civil rights, politics, and social justice and reform issues.

Original file name: bio - converted on Sunday, 7 September 1997, 16:36