34 Facts About Dion Diamond

Dion Tyrone Diamond was born on February 7,1941 and is an American civil rights activist.

Dion Diamond was born February 7,1941, in Petersburg, Virginia.

In Petersburg, Diamond began to oppose segregation by going to white only restaurants, bathrooms, water fountains and other white only areas to annoy people.

Dion Diamond said he would go to white only areas, and when he was instructed to leave, he would not listen until the police were called.

Dion Diamond describes these events as the beginning of his activism.

Dion Diamond noted that while attending the University of Wisconsin there were approximately 50 black students out of 18,000 students.

Dion Diamond said at times he felt uncomfortable by this role, but he came to embrace it because he was able to influence others.

Dion Diamond believed it was a bad idea to start a fight or resist in Jackson during the freedom rides.

Dion Diamond was selected to attend a month long seminar for Civil Rights Activists.

Dion Diamond has exclaimed he could not possibly imagine going through his life by just turning his cheek, and is proud he was able to influence and help others.

Dion Diamond said when he first got involved in activism he wanted to get involved to make a difference and break segregation barriers, without any long range plan.

Dion Diamond explained how he was fearful after getting out of jail in Mississippi.

Dion Diamond noted that his small waist size saved him from getting hit by the bullet.

Dion Diamond worked with younger people on voter registration in Baton Rouge.

Dion Diamond says he has been arrested roughly 30 times, which all were connected to civil rights movements.

Dion Diamond was sent to Columbus, Ohio to attend the annual congress of the National Student Association.

Dion Diamond mentioned to someone that he thought it was time to get back into school.

When saying this, Dion Diamond was standing next to the President of the student government of the University of Wisconsin, who asked him to consider attending Wisconsin.

Dion Diamond claims he thinks schooling in America in the 21st century is not personal enough, and that when he was a student, teachers knew students' personal lives on deeper levels.

Dion Diamond believes it is unfortunate that the best black athletes do not attend Historically Black Colleges or Universities due to the lack of funding these colleges have.

Dion Diamond was a part of the freedom ride in Anniston, Alabama on May 14,1961.

Dion Diamond has mentioned how the state penitentiary ran out of space because of the mass amounts of Freedom Riders who were arrested.

Dion Diamond worked for a company called HEW and helped design an instrument that helped determine fraud in the Medicare and Medicaid program.

Dion Diamond worked as a consultant for different government agencies, where he worked in race relations.

Dion Diamond retired around age 60, and has now been retired for around 20 years.

Dion Diamond mentioned how if he was not involved with civil rights, he would not have attended Wisconsin, Harvard or been able to have his own consulting firm, in which he worked with companies in race relations.

Dion Diamond acknowledges the people who came before him in the post World War II generation.

Dion Diamond believes they largely influenced his generation to be strong enough to start the Civil Rights movement.

Dion Diamond explains how he has not been as active with protesting or educating the youth in his older age, but stresses the importance of how activism needs to be passed down through generations.

Dion Diamond mentioned the similarities between Trump rallies and Ku Klux Klan rallies.

Dion Diamond said that what came before these newer generations is important to note because your past defines your future.

Dion Diamond is proud to see the amount of elected black governmental officials in the 21st century, which he notes is a large progression from when he was growing up.

Dion Diamond has mentioned that he does not regret anything he has done, but instead regrets not doing more in his older age.

Dion Diamond says it is important for younger people to educate him, and feels he can learn more from them, than they can from him.