In 1996, Renford Reese received his Ph.D. in public policy from the University of Southern California's School of Public Administration. He received his Master's degree in public policy from the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies in 1990. He received his Bachelors of Arts degree in political science from Vanderbilt University in 1989. Dr. Reese grew up in McDonough, Georgia. His father, the late Earnest Reese, was the first African American journalist to write for a major daily newspaper in the South, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. His mother, Artelia Reese, a descendant of the much talked about Pettway's of Gee's Bend, was his high school principal. When Dr. Reese was growing up in the early 1970's his hometown was still partially segregated by railroad tracks. Because most of the blacks were forced to live in a certain area of the town, his community was labeled "Blacksville" on the town's map. As an African-American boy of 12 years old, he did a seventh grade social science project on "gerrymandering" in his town. Reese became more conscious of the constructed division between the black and white communities. He also became disgruntled with the lack of dialogue between these communities. At a very early age, he realized that he would like to dedicate his life to issues that help people of different races bridge gaps of mistrust. He did his doctoral dissertation research on intergroup relations and ethnic conflict at the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development in Geneva, Switzerland.

In 1993, as a second year doctoral student and a "Presidential Fellow" at USC, he created the acclaimed Colorful Flags program. The tragic death of Latasha Harlins in South Central Los Angeles and his dissatisfaction with race relations prompted him to create this multiethnic human relations module. Today, this program has serviced approximately 130,000 K-12 students in 17 school districts in California. This program has also been implemented in police departments, hospitals, and various other organizations. Reese wrote the play “Bus Stop Soliloquy,” which is a candid depiction of ethnic relations in the U.S. This play was produced as the short film Life Ain't No Crystal Stair by Emmy Award winner, Saul Landau. Dr. Reese is currently a professor in the political science department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He is the faculty coordinator for the Ghana Study Abroad program. He is the author of four provocative nonfiction books: American Bravado (2007), Prison Race (2006), Leadership in the LAPD: Walking the Tightrope (2005), and American Paradox: Young Black Men (2004). He is also the author of the Starbucks "The Way I See It" Quote #294: "Insensitivity makes arrogance ugly; empathy is what makes humility beautiful."

Reese has traveled to more than 60 countries and has given lectures in many of them. In 2009, Reese was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholars Award and lectured in the American Studies program at the University of Hong Kong. While in Hong Kong, he was inspired to write his first novel, Hong Kong Nights. He was featured on ESPN's "Realizing the Dream" Black History Month series and appears as a commentator on The Biography Channel's mini-bios on Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson. He is the founder of the Prison Education Project and the Reintegration Academy for parolees. He was the recipient of the 2011 George P. Hart "Faculty of the Year" Award.

Juvenile justice advocate and producer of the Hangover films, Scott Budnick introduces
Professor Renford Reese to NBC Nightly News correspondent, Chelsea Clinton. Clinton
came to the CRC-Norco prison to do a report on prison education, which aired on May 8,
2012. Professor Reese is the founder of the Prison Education Project, which currently
has CPP student volunteers in the CRC-Norco prison.



Cornel West Brings CPP Together; Historic Night at CPP, The Poly Post,
February 1, 7, 2012 201

Renford Reese Sits in for David Cruz on KTLK Talk Radio, April 20, 2012
Professor Receives George P. Hart Award, Metro Pomona, September 22, 2011
Students get brave opportunity through `Prison Project', The Poly Post, November 29, 2011
Accomplished Professor, Author,The Poly Post, February 28, 2011
Making an Impact in the Field of Life, Vanderbilt Commodore Magazine, March 2010
Would-be president, scholar, actor, rapper, athlete, activist shine on Henry County, The Henry Herald
Cal Poly Pomona Professor Featured in ESPN Spot, The Poly Post
McDonough Native Featured in ESPN Spot, The Henry Herald
Political Science Professor Awarded Fulbright Fellowship
Study Abroad Opportunity with Professor Reese
Revisiting King's Dream
College Students in Taiwan told to be 'Fish out of Water'
U.S. State Department/American Institute of Taiwan Lecture Series
Obama and Race Relations in America, Zhuhai, China
The Obama Presidency One Year Later: What has changed? Macau, S.A.R, China
Reintegration Academy - Fields to be keynote speaker at community forum
Reintegration Academy - Program Offers Parolees Second Chance
Cal Poly Pomona Scholar-Baller Video
Henry's Renford Reese
Henry's Native Quote
State Assembly Photos
Colorful Flags Assembly
MORE Intramural Sports
Street Music in Seattle
Bronco Pride
Letter to Incoming Freshmen

ESPN "Realizing the Dream" Commercial

College Football Days at Vanderbilt