Lenny McAllister is a talented public speaker and leader that has "… a mission to make positive changes to the status quo within politics, social issues and other issues that hamper our American way of life..." He is the author of the new book, “Diary of a Mad Black PYC (Proud Young Conservative): Editorials, Essays, and Articles from a Hip Hop Republican.” (www.tinyurl.com/lennysdiary) He also writes regularly for his new BlogSpot, “P.Y.C. From the Hip: Musings of a Hip Hop Republican” (pycmusings.blogspot.com), a daily publication quickly gaining notoriety in the blogosphere and beyond. A “rising star” among the grassroots for conservatives, politically-savvy moderates, and much of Black America, Lenny was featured in prominent Charlotte Magazine in a cover story article titled, “Get Right With Lenny: The Making of a Hip Hop Republican” (http://www.charlottemagazine.com/Charlotte-Magazine/June-2009/Get-Right-with-Lenny/)  

Lenny grew up in a working-class suburb of Pittsburgh as the oldest child in the family headed by his parents: Leonard, Sr. (a steel mill electrician) and the late Carol McAllister (a retired daycare provider.) He excelled as a three-sport athlete and a work-study scholarship student at Shady Side Academy (http://www.shadysideacademy.org) before moving on to Davidson College (www.davidson.edu) where he was a pitcher on the baseball team, a contributing writer for The Davidsonian, and an active member of the Black Student Coalition. He received an ACES Academic Award during his academic career. He played an instrumental role in aiding the process of procuring nationally-renowned Alpha Phi Alpha on Davidson’s campus, the first historically Black fraternity established on the College’s campus. Despite becoming a father at age 21 and a decade hiatus from academia, Lenny returned to graduate from Davidson College with a degree in History.

Currently, Lenny appears as a political commentator and guest on multiple outlets including CNN, XM Radio, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, WVON Chicago, and Fox Charlotte. He has been an occasional co-host for “Fox News Rising”, the popular Charlotte morning show on which he has regularly provided political commentary. Lenny is a syndicated writer nationally that has been featured on online magazines including The Root, Rushmore Drive, AOL, The Loop 21, Russell Simmons’ Global Grind, and Tucker Carlson’s The Daily Caller. He is the co-host of the political weekly podcast “Both Sides of the Loop with Dr. Marvin King and Lenny McAllister”, featured on The Loop 21 (www.theloop21.com). McAllister has been noted nationally for his ability to provided strong conservative points of view from an African-American perspective that reflects both backgrounds proudly. He is a leading force behind the political movement “Hip Hop Republicans”, a group mentioned by new Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele during his acceptance speech in January 2009. 

Lenny is a Visiting Fellow for the Center for New Politics and Policy (previously at the University of Denver.) He was featured extensively as a political commentator during the 2008 Republican National Convention in St Paul, Minnesota for several outlets including CNN, CNN International, BBC World News, and Black Entertainment Television. During the RNC, McAllister was a guest on the Fox News webcast with Griff Jenkins, a guest co-host with Shepard Smith during a Fox News Channel primetime webcast before Gov. Sarah Palin's vice-presidential nomination speech, and a featured guest on "ABC News NOW" with Sam Donaldson in primetime before Senator John McCain's presidential nomination speech. 

McAllister was a featured panelist at the 10^th Annual State of the Black Union (hosted by Tavis Smiley) in Los Angeles, California in February 2009 (http://www.broadcasturban.net/webcast/sobu2009/panel3.htm ) as one of the few conservatives to participate in the event. Before appearing on the webcast panel, McAllister hosted an online chat room during the C-SPAN sessions of the symposium.  He is one of the few to actively participate in both the 2008 Republican National Convention and the 2009 State of the Black Union. Lenny was also a panelist in the CNN & The Root panel discussion titled: “Young & Black In America: Empowering the Next Generation of African American Leaders,” a discussion on next steps for Black America moderated by award-winning journalist, CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux. 

Lenny works to improve the lives of at-risk youths. Through his involvement with the Hill House Association and MEN At Work in Pittsburgh, Lenny led initiatives to train the unemployed, create safer neighborhoods, encourage teenage fathers to become better fathers and men, and encourage urban economic development. Upon returning to Charlotte, Lenny served as a tutor/mentor for the Boys and Girls Club of Our Towns and the After School Program at the Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson. Previously, Lenny has served on the Mecklenburg County Domestic Violence Advisory Board, Succession (a Mecklenburg County-based service organization), and the Davidson Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Lenny contributes as a member doing youth ministry for Return Ministries in Charlotte, North Carolina and the Mecklenburg County Domestic Violence Speakers’ Bureau. McAllister is a noted speaker delivering messages against domestic violence, urban blight, and issues impacting America’s youth. He serves on the advisory board for Men 4 Change, a Charlotte-based organization that annually hosts a fundraiser to promote domestic violence awareness. He served as a facilitator towards the creation of Sguzo Saba (a Saturday academy in Charlotte that sought to meet the under-addressed needs of young Black males.)  McAllister also works with the leadership team of Foresight Leadership, a Charlotte-based organization that focuses on implementing initiatives that improve the conditions of at-risk Black youths in urban areas. He is also working with M.O.V.E. Mentors in Charlotte, North Carolina. Recently, McAllister was named the advisory board chairman of Generation Engage Charlotte, a nonpartisan civic engagement initiative that empowers young adults to be leaders in their communities and active participants in our democracy. He has been a panelist and support of the Pride Enterprise Entrepreneurship Program in Charlotte as well as an advisor to the Urban League of Central Carolinas. 

Lenny is a member of the North Carolina Republican Party Executive Committee, the 12th District Republican Executive Committee (where he is the district’s past vice chair for the GOP), and the North Carolina New Majority Advisory Council. In 2006 and 2007, Lenny was an invitee to the African-American Leadership Summit in Washington, DC that was co-sponsored by US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX). Lenny also appeared as an invited speaker before the Pennsylvania House of Representatives' Judicial Committee to address unfair inconsistencies in child custody laws and court proceedings. He has also served as a participant in the Citizens' Task Force on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in December 2005. In addition, Lenny served as an appointee to the United Way Community Advisory Board in the Lake Norman region. He has been an invited speaker to the NOBLE (National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives) Youth Conference and the Innovation Generation Technology Conference, both in 2009.  Recently, Lenny was named Chairman for the Advisory Board for the Charlotte, NC chapter of Generation Engage, a non-partisan youth-civic-engagement initiative that engages young Americans “…to political leaders, civic organizations, (and) meaningful conversations about the future they will inherit…” 

McAllister is roundly viewed as a rising orator and leader, a community activist, and a conservative voice that continues to gain traction and respect throughout political and social realms. He is a proud husband to his wife and best friend Lannie and a proud father to his children.