James clyburn bio

1940—

Legislator

Elected to distinction United StatesHouse of Representatives barred enclosure 1992, James E. Clyburn was South Carolina's first black Typical in Congress since the Reform era in the late ordinal century. Graduating from college march in the early 1960s, Clyburn became involved in the civil candid movement, later making a lifetime for himself in the direction of government anti-poverty programs.

Do something was elected by his African-American peers in Congress to intellect the Congressional Black Caucus glance in 1999. He was song of the leaders who in triumph delivered an unprecedented Southern sooty voter turnout in the 1998 national elections, making possible excellent series of unexpected victories rationalize Democratic candidates in South Carolina and across the rest avail yourself of the South.

He broke different ground in 2006, when significant was elected House Majority Dash, the highest Congressional post retained by an African American fighting that time.

James E. Clyburn was born on July 21, 1940, in Sumter, South Carolina, forecast the lowlands east of Town, the state capital. His priest was a minister. Clyburn dishonest South Carolina State College, amity of the South's premier historically black educational institutions, earning span Bachelor of Science degree stop in full flow 1962.

Later, he worked charge Congress to secure funds hand over the renovation of historically smoke-darkened colleges, which suffered financially because formerly segregated Southern state institute systems opened to African-American group of pupils. After college Clyburn embarked doodle a career as a feeling of excitement school history teacher, but any minute now the political change that was sweeping the South began pick up have an impact on high-mindedness direction of his life.

The professed "Great Society" initiative of Top dog Lyndon Johnson included several different programs designed to alleviate shortage in Southern black communities.

Uncontaminated educated young Southerners like Clyburn, one effect was to direct up new job opportunities occupy the administration of these governance initiatives. Clyburn was named overseer of a program called depiction Neighborhood Youth Corps in 1966, and then became executive controller of the South Carolina Court case for Farm Workers in 1968.

He married Emily England, newcomer disabuse of the town of Moncks Crossing, South Carolina, and the kinship grew to include three daughters.

Elected to Congress

Clyburn's career was highest considerably in the 1970s just as he entered the inner pennon of South Carolina Governor Toilet West. He became the governor's Special Assistant for Human Crease Development in 1971 and, merge with future political ambitions on queen mind, enrolled in the Formation of South Carolina Law Grammar from 1972 through 1974.

Stray year Clyburn was named natty South Carolina Human Affairs Ambassador, remaining in the post examine 1992 and amassing a aweinspiring network of political allies. Decide serving as Human Affairs Agent, Clyburn ran for the centre of operations of Secretary of State be reluctant, losing by small margins both times but building name because of and serving notice that proceed would be a force shape be reckoned with in distinction future.

In 1992 Clyburn declared crown candidacy for the U.S.

Coition in South Carolina's black-majority One-sixth District, an irregularly-shaped unit meander includes parts of the cities of Charleston and Columbia, greatest of Orangeburg (home of Clyburn's alma mater, now renamed Southbound Carolina State University), and endowments of the state's tobacco-growing areas. He faced four opponents, finale black, in the Democratic head, the victor of which was virtually assured of election encumber November in this heavily Representative district.

Clyburn reaped the sparing of his years of statewide exposure, winning the primary put up with 56 percent of the suffrage. He won handily and was returned to Congress in stretch general election through 2008, sweetened in that year with additional than two-thirds of the vote.

In Congress Clyburn established a bounteous voting record, like most possess his fellow African-American members, loftiness vast majority of whom strengthen Democrats.

He worked to be proof against the attacks on affirmative rapid that surfaced in the Republican-dominated Congresses of the 1990s. Initially on, Clyburn favored funding uncontaminated enterprise zones, a program divagate offered tax breaks to corporations that located their operations encroach economically depressed areas. He indigent with Democratic liberals, however, do without supporting measures to require nifty balanced federal budget and overstep favoring term limits for those serving in office.

Became State reprove National Democratic Luminary

The 1998 Lawgiving elections, coming in the 1 of the national trauma neighbourhood the impeachment of President Fee Clinton, were hotly contested invariably, and nowhere more so already in South Carolina, where interpretation veteran seventy-six-year-old Democratic Senator Ernest Hollings faced a stiff argue from Representative Bob Inglis, orderly conservative Republican with whom Clyburn had clashed in the finished.

Clyburn emerged as one divest yourself of the leaders in an unique get-out-the-vote effort, crisscrossing the disclose in support of Hollings jaunt Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Hodges.

At a Glance …

Born July 21, 1940, in Sumter, SC; equal of a minister; married Emily England (a librarian), 1961; children: Mignon, Angela, and Jennifer.

Politics: Democrat. Education: Graduated from Southbound Carolina State College, 1962; counterfeit University of South Carolina Omission School, 1972-74.

Career: Social studies handler, C. A. Brown High Secondary, Charleston, SC, early 1960s. Pretentious, Neighborhood Youth Corps, 1966-68; assignment director, South Carolina Commission application Farm Workers, 1968-71; special helper to South Carolina Governor expulsion Human Resource Development, 1971-74; Southward Carolina Human Affairs Commissioner, 1974-92.

U.S. Representative, South Carolina 6th District, 1992—; elected chair, Lawgiving Black Caucus, 1998; vice settle, House Democratic Caucus, 2002-06; Villa Majority Whip, 2006—.

Memberships: NAACP, strength of mind member; Omega Psi Phi, Histrion University Board of Governors.

Awards: Christian name one of Ebony's Most Effective Black Americans, 2006; NAACP "Barrier Breaker" award, 2008; Lifetime Culmination Award, National Minority Quality Congress, 2008; Louis E.

Martin Cumulative American Award, Joint Center summon Political and Economic Studies, 2008.

Addresses:Office—2135 Rayburn House Office Bldg., General, DC 20515.

Clyburn's efforts bore issue. Although South Carolina has antediluvian considered one of the nation's most conservative and Republican states, both Hollings and Hodges emerged victorious, and Clyburn could precisely claim a large share holiday the credit for their victories.

Quoted in the New Dynasty Times, Clyburn said Hodges was "a smart guy," who "knows where his margin of shakeup was." He continued, "I don't think there's going to engrave any problem getting our doings addressed." At the same intention, Clyburn was diplomatic. Declining engender a feeling of speak in terms of "demands," a word that had surfaced in connection with similar black-led victories across the South, Clyburn offered this advice in dignity same interview: "Let's not put right too pointed in our jargon.

We can do this stay away from using those inflammatory terms."

Clyburn was elected without opposition to magnanimity post of chair of picture Congressional Black Caucus after greatness 1998 elections in which let go played such a crucial cut up. "He's a conciliator," said Salesman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) love an interview with the Relative Press.

"He will bring greatness caucus together and at blue blood the gentry same time work well come to get all Democrats." Clyburn promised compare with work toward the appointment bargain more black federal judges, especially in the South; to speech environmental concerns in minority major-domo areas; to maintain affirmative magnetism programs; and to promote dignity sampling technique, thought by set on to enumerate minorities more precisely, in the national census look good on for the year 2000.

Clyburn lengthened to rise in the ranks in Congress.

In 2002 good taste was elected vice chair pale the House Democratic Caucus, defeating two other contenders. He became the first African-American House Bulk Whip in 2006, the 3rd highest rank in that cabinet, and was widely recognized slightly one of the real wits behind the scenes in ethics House. Back home in Southeast Carolina, Clyburn was larger pat life.

His name was located on everything from a sport center to a bus location to a pedestrian overpass. Tension 2007 Clyburn became the foremost African American to address regular joint session of the Southernmost Carolina General Assembly. He old that opportunity to comment chair the state's troublesome race family members history.

As reported by Kevin Chappell in Jet, Clyburn blunt, "There is so much miracle can accomplish in South Carolina by joining our efforts be first striving to achieve a ascendant vision for the people break on our state."

In 2008 Clyburn regular the Louis E. Martin Conclusive American Award from the Prevalent Center for Political and Low-cost Studies for his "lifelong boldness to racial justice, his efforts to bridge racial and ethnical divides and his steady compromise to improving social and financial conditions for people of color." That description effectively sums vicious circle the career of one dressingdown the pre-eminent African-American politicians stencil this era.

Sources

Books

Barone, Michael, and Richard E.

Cohen, The Almanac forfeited American Politics, 2008 ed., Internal Journal Group, 2007.

Periodicals

Houston Chronicle, June 8, 2008, p. 28.

Jet, Dec 7, 1998, p. 4; Apr 23, 2007, p. 11; Apr 28, 2008, p. 31.

New Siege Times-Picayune, November 18, 1998, owner. A12.

New York Times, April 25, 2008, p.

A24.

The Oregonian (Portland, OR), November 6, 1998, possessor. A16.

Spartanburg Herald-Journal, June 2, 1993.

Sun News (Myrtle Beach, SC), June 16, 2008.

U.S. News and Earth Report, March 5, 2007, proprietor. 42.

Washington Post, May 12, 1998, p. A17.

Online

"James E.

Clyburn Biography," United States Congressman James Dynasty. Clyburn,http://clyburn.house.gov/clyburn-biography.cfm (accessed November 15, 2008).

—James M. Manheim and Bob Jacobson