San Francisco State University
Walter Riley is a distinguished civil rights attorney and activist who has dedicated his career to
promoting equitable social change. Mr. Riley didn’t initially envision himself as an activist, but
his upbringing in 1950s Durham County, North Carolina, quickly revealed the necessity of
fighting for respect and dignity. As a teenager, Mr. Riley engaged in the civil rights movement,
participating in protests, sit-ins and meaningful conversations with influential leaders. One
pivotal moment in his journey as an activist was moderating a conversation between Malcolm X
and Floyd McKissick when he was just 18 years old. Mr. McKissick, an NAACP attorney and
mentor, played a significant role in Mr. Riley’s path to becoming a lawyer, while Malcolm X’s
philosophy emphasized the right to exist, to defend oneself and to challenge oppressive systems.
In the 1960s, Mr. Riley’s dedication to equality led him to become an NAACP organizer, serving
as field secretary for the Congress of Racial Equality in the southeast region of the United States.
In 1965, he moved to the Bay Area and began his college career at San Francisco State
University. He was a student activist and outspoken participant in the groundbreaking 1968
student strike that led to the creation of the nation’s first College of Ethnic Studies.
Mr. Riley left college in late 1968 and became a bus driver, where he led the rank-and-file Black
caucus of San Francisco bus drivers, advocating for fair treatment and equal opportunities. In the
1970s, Mr. Riley lived in Chicago and Detroit, where he continued his advocacy work. He later
returned to the Bay Area, enrolled at Golden Gate University School of Law and moved from
activist organizer to activist lawyer.
Recognizing the potential of the legal system as a powerful instrument for social change, Mr.
Riley practices law in Oakland, California, specializing in the areas of civil rights, police
misconduct and criminal defense. Mr. Riley has defended the “Black Friday 14” and other Black
Lives Matter protesters and serves on the board of directors of the Coalition for Police
Accountability, a nonprofit organization that advocates for accountability from the Oakland
Police Department to the community.
Mr. Riley has received numerous professional awards and has been honored in the U.S.
Congressional Record by U.S. Representative Barbara Lee and in the California Assembly by
Assembly Member Jackie Goldberg. In 2013, the Oakland City Council proclaimed April 27 as
Walter Riley Day.
In recognition of his lifetime of achievements and his tireless efforts to promote civil rights, the
Board of Trustees of the California State University and San Francisco State University are
proud to confer upon Walter Riley the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws.