His investigative reports on urban policy, race relations, the labor movement and Latin America have garnered numerous accolades, including two George Polk Awards for commentary, and in 2015 he became the first Latino to be inducted into the Society of Professional Journalists New York Journalism Hall of Fame.

González has also authored five books, including two acclaimed histories. One of them, Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America has been required reading for two decades in college courses across the country, even spawning an award-winning documentary film that he narrated. His News for All the People: The Epic Story of Race and the American Media, co-authored with Joseph Torres, was a New York Times best-seller and a finalist for the Robert F. Kennedy Award. As a result, González was elected in 2016 a fellow of the New York Academy of History.

One of the original founders of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), he served as the group’s president from 2002-2004. During that time, he spearheaded a nationwide effort by professional journalists to successfully challenge the Federal Communications Commission’s dismantling of media ownership regulations.

Even before he entered journalism, González was a well-known 1960s activist, as a key figure of the Columbia University student revolt of 1968, and later as a leader of the militant Puerto Rican group the Young Lords, and of the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights.

Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, he was raised in East Harlem and Brooklyn, New York. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia, has been a visiting professor at Brooklyn College and New York University, and is currently the Richard D. Heffner Professor of Communications and Public Policy at Rutgers University. Read Less ^