Gary Bledsoe is the president of the Texas State NAACP and has held that position since being elected in 1991. He is an attorney who specializes in public interest law, employment, and civil rights law. Gary has a long-standing relationship with the NAACP as a member of its national board since 2003 and is currently the chair of the National Criminal Justice Committee of the NAACP.
Gary has previously handled racial discrimination complaints against the Austin Department of Public Safety that dismantled racial barriers that prevented minorities and women from becoming Texas Rangers. His involvement in the Cedar Avenue case resulted in heightened public awareness of the Austin Police Department’s mishandling of minority youth and led to widespread changes in how police abuse cases are handled. The landmark settlement resulted in the creation of a scholarship program for college-bound minority youth.
He earned a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, where he is the permanent class president of the Class of 1976.