Anthony Daniels

Anthony Daniels represents the 53rd District in the Alabama State House of Representatives. He made history by becoming the first African-American, and the youngest, lawmaker to become Alabama's House minority leader.

In May 2005, he graduated cum laude from Alabama A&M University with a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Daniels went on to earn a Master’s degree in special education also from Alabama A&M University and completed a certification in education fundraising from Dartmouth College in 2012. In 2015, he received a certificate from the University of Virginia, Darden School of Business’s Executive Education Program. In May 2009, he released his first book, To Sweeten Alabama: A Story of a Young Man Defying the Odds.

In June 2006, Daniles was elected as chairman of the National Education Association (NEA) Student Program, where he represented more than 62,000 college students on more than 1,100 campuses nationwide. In this role, Anthony worked out of NEA headquarters in Washington, D.C. His leadership and collaboration with myriad organizations fostered the passage of the College Cost and Reduction Act of 2007, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush.

He is recognized as a leading voice on the issues of college access and affordability. In his role as NEA chairman, Anthony has testified before Department of Education’s Negotiating Rule Making Committee hearings on college access and affordability, spoken to live audiences, provided commentary on nationally syndicated radio programs, television broadcasts and featured in various magazines discussing the topic of college affordability and mobilizing youth to be politically active.

In July 2009, Daniels was appointed to Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle’s Economic Sustainability Council (Green 13) where he served as the Chairman of Transportation. Later that year, he was appointed chair of the Legislative Committee for the Huntsville Education Association, where he served a one-year term. The following year, he was elected to the State Board of Directors for the Alabama Education Association. In 2010 he was also appointed to the advisory committee for First-Book North Alabama, a non-profit organization that provides new books to low income children.

Daniels continues to advocate for a quality education for all as a public servant and as a former elementary school teacher. His experience includes teaching third grade at the Academy of Science and Foreign Language, fourth grade at University Place Elementary (Title I school) and fourth and fifth grade blended-class at Cochiti Middle School on an Indian reservation.

In January 2012, Daniels returned to his Alma mater as Corporate and Foundations Relations officer, a position he held until November 2014. He currently serves as Chief Operating Officer for Premiere Dental, a small business he owns with his wife, Dr. Teneshia Daniels.