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From the small farming community of Bennett's Point, SC and the nearby historic port city of Charleston, the Rev. Nelson B. Rivers, III, has risen through the ranks of the NAACP to become the Chief of Field Operations of the oldest and most revered civil rights organization. His climb epitomizes the unlimited possibilities of a life of commitment, dedication and purpose.
Rev. Rivers is married to the former Carolyn Smalls of Charleston and has four children and three grandchildren. He received his bachelor's degree from Wilberforce University in Ohio and completed graduate courses in Marketing and Business Law at the Citadel. He was ordained at the Olivet Baptist Church of Christ in Fayetteville, Georgia. He is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Theology Degree at the Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, MD. He is also the Associate Pastor of the St. Paul Baptist Church in Charleston, SC.
Always determined to make things better, Rivers has given his time, talent and expertise to the NAACP for nearly thirty years. He has worked at every level of the organization-as a branch committee chair; advisor of a local youth council; President and leader of the reorganization of the nearly defunct North Charleston, SC Branch; Executive Director of the South Carolina State Conference; Director of the Southeast Region (the largest of the NAACP's seven regions); Chief of Field Operations; and his current position, Chief Operating Officer.
With Rivers at the helm of the South Carolina Conference, NAACP membership in the state tripled from 1984 to 1994. His work led to the election of more than 300 new black elected officials in South Carolina between the years of 1986 to 1994. His skills as a grassroots organizer resulted in massive direct action activities. Among them was the January 2000 historic march and rally that brought over 50,000 people to the grounds of the South Carolina Statehouse to protest the state's flying of the Confederate battle flag.
He has received numerous awards for his civil rights and community work including the Order of the Palmetto, the State of South Carolina's highest award; and induction into the South Carolina Black Hall of Fame. He has appeared on various radio and television programs including Donahue, 60 Minutes, BET Tonight with Ed Gordon, "All Things Considered" on NPR, among others. In July 2004, at the NAACP 95th Convention, he was recognized as the top NAACP staff professional when he was awarded the Medgar Evers Award of Excellence.
Rev. Rivers is a member of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Wilberforce University. He served as president of the university's Alumni Association from 1994 to 1998. During his tenure, membership tripled and alumni contributed over $2 million to the university. In 1997 Wilberforce awarded him the honorary Doctor of Humanities degree and a year later he was inducted into the Alumni Association Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum in Savannah, GA. | 