Bill Ayers: podcast appearances and interviews

William Charles Ayers, born December 26, 1944, is an American retired professor and former community organizer. He co-founded the Weather Underground in 1969, a revolutionary organization that sought to overthrow the United States government, which it viewed as imperialist. During the 1960s and 1970s, the group conducted a campaign of bombings targeting public buildings in opposition to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. These actions resulted in the deaths of three group members when a device accidentally exploded; the FBI classified the Weather Underground as a domestic terrorist organization. Ayers was considered a fugitive for several years until charges against him were dropped due to illegal FBI conduct. He later became a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, holding titles including Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar. In addition to his academic career, Ayers has served as Board Chairman of Catholic Charities of Long Island. His personal life includes marriage to Bernadine Dohrn, a lawyer and law professor, who was also a leader within the Weather Underground. During the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, Ayers became a subject of controversy due to his contacts with then-candidate Barack Obama, but investigations concluded that Obama did not have a close relationship with Ayers.