Melvin T. Mason (born January 7, 1943) is an American politician who ran as Socialist Workers Party candidate for President of the United States in the 1984 United States presidential election. Early life Melvin T. Mason was born in Providence, Kentucky on January 7, 1943 and moved to Seaside, California in 1956 with his mother when he was 13. Mason became a star basketball player at Monterey High School. Military service Mason graduated from high school in 1960 and then attended Monterey Peninsula College (junior college) until 1961 when he entered the Air Force. Mason was named Air Force European Command Player of the Year in 1964, after setting high scoring records for the US military in Europe. The Air Force gave Mason a bad conduct discharge in 1965. Mason believes that the bad conduct status was because he had objected to bad treatment of black servicemen. US Senator Thomas Kuchel had the discharged changed to honorable. High education and collegiate basketball 1966 Mason returned to Monterey Peninsula College where he became the only All-America basketball player in the school's history. He accepted an Oregon State University basketball scholarship but after taking stands against racist treatment of black basketball players, he lost his scholarship in 1966. Mason was banned from playing basketball at any college in the U.S and his sports career was over. In 1972 Mason earned B.A. in social science at Golden Gate University, and in 1995 an M.A. in social work from San Jose State University. Political activism Mason joined the Black Panther Party in 1968. and in 1970 he organized the Black United Farmworkers (UFW) support committee. In 1976 Mason was involved investigations and campaigns to stop police brutality on the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas California. 1980 Mason was elected to the city council of Seaside, CA . Mason had launched campaign to recall former Seaside mayor (then a city councilman) Lou Haddad, whom Mason called an “enemy of black people.” He joined a broad coalition called the Citizens’ League for Progress and defeated Haddad. That next year, Mason ran for the Seaside City Council seat and won. In 1982 Mason tried to run for Governor of California on the Socialist Workers Party ticket when he was ruled off the ballot. 1984 – Ran as Socialist Workers Party candidate for United States President in the 1984 United States presidential election. Along with vice presidential candidates Andrea