Mal Hyman

I’ve taught for 50 years – in public schools, prisons, and the last 37 years at Coker University. My grandmother taught in the public schools in Pittsburgh. My dad grew up in a boarding house, served as a tail gunner on a B-17 in World War II, went to Ohio State on the GI Bill. He overcame PTSD and became a small town newspaper publisher. My folks taught me civility, resilience, and hard work. My dad was an Eisenhower Republican, my mom a Kennedy Democrat, and we always had civil discussions.

I worked my way through UCLA doing factory work, farm work, and as a commercial fisherman. In my first teaching job I had six classes, forty in a class, but without a classroom set of books. When I taught in a medium security men’s prison, the inmates talked about losing hope at the ages of 10, 11, and 12. I seek to be the first member of Congress to confront the school-to-prison pipeline who has taught in the public schools and prisons. I have done human rights work and monitored elections with the U.N. in seven countries, served on a range of community boards from my county Community Action Agency to Genesis Healthcare, and published a book, Burying the Lead: The Media and the Assassination of JFK.

I’m a proud Dad of two beautiful daughters, and have two wonderful grandchildren.