Bill Ayers

The name of former anti-war activist William Ayers was brought up twice in an attempt to discredit Barack Obama during the recent presidential campaign — first by Hillary Clinton, and then by the McCain campaign.

Bill Ayers is probably best known as a leader of the 1960's radical group the Weatherman. It was the militant arm of the Students for Democratic Society movement. But now Ayers focuses his efforts to reform the nation's schools and its juvenile court system. His latest book "A Kind and Just Parent" (Beacon Press) is a close look at Chicago's Juvenile Court system. Ayers is a professor at University of Illinois at Chicago.