Bakari Sellers

Early life and education

Sellers was born on September 18, 1984, and is the son of Gwendolyn Sellers and civil rights activist and professor Cleveland Sellers. He grew up in Bamberg County, South Carolina, and was educated at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School, a public high school in Orangeburg, South Carolina. In 2005, Sellers earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in African-American Studies from Morehouse College, a private all-male and historically black, liberal arts college, in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2008, he earned a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Sellers has worked for Congressman James Clyburn and former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin.

Career

Legal career

Sellers has been an attorney with the Strom Law Firm, L.L.C. in Columbia, South Carolina since 2007, He is also currently on the board of directors of Level Brands (a brand management firm) and Let America Vote (a voting rights organization founded by former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander).

Political career

Sellers represented South Carolina's 90th district in the lower house of the state legislature from 2006 to 2014, becoming the youngest African American person elected official in the country at age 22. He vacated his seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives to run for Lieutenant Governor in 2014, but lost to Henry McMaster. He was succeeded in the House by Justin T. Bamberg.

Israel advocacy

Sellers is a prominent African-American supporter of Israel. He first attended the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference while serving as a student body president at Morehouse College. In 2016, he authored a letter signed by 60 fellow African-American politicians urging the Democratic Platform Committee to keep the same language, refusing to include the statement that Israel is engaging in an "occupation" of Palestine that appeared in previous Democratic platforms.

2019 Lincoln Memorial tweet

Main article: 2019 Lincoln Memorial confrontation

In response to an incident between a teenager, Nicholas Sandmann, and Native American activist Nathan Phillips at the Lincoln Memorial, Sellers tweeted about the teen: "He is a deplorable. Some ppl can also be punched in the face." Sellers deleted the tweet, claiming his comment was "metaphoric" and "taken out of context" though he still claimed that the students "displayed xenophobic, racist behavior." Sellers was later included in a lawsuit brought by the teen's parents against CNN, where Sellers worked as an analyst. CNN settled the lawsuit, rather than face a court trial.

Honors, awards, and books

In 2010, Time magazine featured Sellers on its 40 Under 40 list. In 2012, Politico named Sellers on its "50 politicos to watch" list.

Sellers was named HBCU Top 30 Under 30 in July 2014.

In May 2020, Sellers released an autobiography, My Vanishing Country, that centers on the forgotten lives of African-American working-class people in the rural U.S. South.

On April 23, 2024, his book, The Moment: Thoughts on the Race Reckoning That Wasn't and How We All Can Move Forward Now was released.

Sellers ranked number 17 on the Post and Courier Columbia's 2025 Power List.

Personal life

In the summer of 2015, he married Ellen Rucker Carter, chiropractor and co-owner of Rucker Roots haircare products. He has twins, a boy and a girl, born in 2018.

References

References

1. Roldan, Cynthia. (July 14, 2015). "Former House Rep. Bakari Sellers joins CNN as contributor". The Post and Courier.
2. Harter, Lee. (April 4, 2016). "Bakari Sellers at home as CNN analyst for presidential primaries". [[The Times and Democrat]].
3. Kimberlei N. Davis. (October 12, 2014). "Standing on the promises: Mother of Rep. Sellers continues fight against leukemia and for Bamberg County hospital". [[The Times and Democrat]].
4. Schuyler Kropf. (September 3, 2014). "Bakari Sellers endorsed by S.C. education group". [[The Post and Courier]].
5. Arielle Hayes. (March 21, 2014). "Lt. governor candidate Bakari Sellers tells Claflin students he is ready for next step as change agent". [[Claflin University]].
6. (March 4, 2016). "BAKARI SELLERS '05: 'THERE IS STILL A CROWN ABOVE ME'". Morehouse College.
7. "Bakari Sellers - Attorney at Strom Law Firm, L.L.C.".
8. (May 7, 2016). "State lawmaker lived at contributor's half-million-dollar property, ducks questions". [[The Post and Courier]].
9. "Former SC representative finds niche as CNN commentator".
10. "About Level Brands".
11. "Advisors". Let America Vote.
12. (January 22, 2015). "Ex-Rep. Sellers pops up on girlfriend's reality show". The Times and Democrat.
13. Fingerhut, Eric. (January 16, 2009). "How AIPAC Makes Friends". Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
14. (June 26, 2016). "Hillary Clinton's views on Israel win out in DNC platform, for now". CNN.
15. (2020-02-19). "Covington Catholic students and parents sue Washington Post for 'reckless' coverage of 2019 incident".
16. Writer, DIONNE GLEATON T&D Staff. (January 22, 2019). "Bakari Sellers says tweet not promoting violence, students symbolize bigotry, division".
17. (2020-01-07). "Report: CNN Settles with Cov Cath Student Nicholas Sandmann".
18. (January 7, 2020). "CNN settles lawsuit with Nick Sandmann stemming from viral video controversy".
19. (October 14, 2010). "40 Under 40".
20. (May 17, 2014). "Young Democrat Bakari Sellers seeks to make history as lieutenant governor". The Post and Courier.
21. Sarata, Phil. (July 14, 2012). "Politico lists Bakari Sellers among 50 to watch". The Times and Democrat.
22. (July 12, 2012). "50 politicos to watch: State pols on the verge of national prominence".
23. (July 13, 2012). "Sellers named to Politico's '50 politicos to watch' list". [[WCIV]]; [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]].
24. (June 2014). "HBCU Top 30 Under 30".
25. Paschal, Olivia. (May 13, 2020). "Bakari Sellers on a life shaped by the rural South's civil rights movement".
26. Staff, Post and Courier Columbia. (2025-12-16). "The Post and Courier Columbia’s 2025 Power List: 30 people getting stuff done in the capital city".
27. (January 8, 2015). "Who Is Ellen Rucker's Boyfriend? Bakari Sellers The 'Love Thy Sister' Star Is Well Known Lawyer Down South". [[Bustle (magazine).