Young Gay Prof Heads NAACP Chapter

After five years of inactivity, the Worcester, Mass., chapter of the NAACP elected a 28-year-old gay professor to revive the group, signaling a generational shift in the national organization.

Ravi Perry, a Clark University political science professor, was elected Saturday, along with several other officers, according to the Associated Press.

Perry's work focuses on race and governance, education, and public policy, specifically in relation to HIV/AIDS among African-Americans. According to the report, Perry said he hopes his election will help the organization address gay and lesbian issues, which he said have been long ignored among minority communities.

Perry's election comes after the national board of the NAACP chose Roslyn M. Brock, 45, and Benjamin Todd Jealous, 37, as its chairman and president, respectively. Also in Massachusetts, 42-year-old attorney Michael Curry was chosen to lead the organization's Boston chapter in November.