ich ita , ▁Kansas , ▁the ▁oldest ▁of ▁seven ▁children ▁of ▁Gil mar ▁and ▁Max ine ▁F ray ▁Wal ters . ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁career ▁Army ▁officer ▁and ▁later ▁a ▁professional ▁music ian , ▁playing ▁double ▁bass . ▁His ▁mother ▁was ▁a ▁civil ▁rights ▁investig ator ▁for ▁the ▁state . ▁Ron ▁attended ▁grade ▁school ▁and ▁junior ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁W ich ita , ▁and ▁he ▁graduated ▁from ▁W ich ita ▁High ▁School ▁East ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 . ▁ ▁Career ▁As ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁NA AC P ▁Youth ▁Council , ▁the ▁ 2 0 - year - old ▁Wal ters ▁organized ▁the ▁D ock um ▁D rug ▁Store ▁sit - in ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁des eg reg ation ▁of ▁drug st ores ▁in ▁W ich ita , ▁Kansas , ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 8 ▁months ▁before ▁the ▁more ▁widely ▁public ized ▁Gre ens bor o ▁sit - ins ▁began ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 6 0 . ▁ ▁Wal ters ▁received ▁his ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁degree ▁in ▁History ▁and ▁Government ▁with ▁Hon ors ▁from ▁F isk ▁University ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁and ▁both ▁his ▁M . A . ▁in ▁African ▁Studies ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁and ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁International ▁Studies ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁from ▁American ▁University . ▁He ▁has ▁served ▁as ▁professor ▁and ▁chair ▁of ▁the ▁political ▁science ▁department ▁at ▁Howard ▁University , ▁assistant ▁professor ▁and ▁chair ▁of ▁Af ro - American