In the entire history of the country only fifteen black representatives and one senator have ever chaired congressional committees.
Senator Blanche Bruce (R-MS, 1875-1881), Representatives Yvonne B. Burke (D-CA, 1973-1979), William L. Clay, Sr. (D-MO, 1969-2001), John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI, 1965- ), William L. Dawson (D-IL, 1943-1970), Ronald V. Dellums (D-CA, 1971-1998), Charles C. Diggs, Jr. (D-MI, 1955-1980), Julian Dixon (D-CA, 1979-2000), William H. Gray, III (D-PA, 1979-1991), Augustus F. Hawkins (D-CA, 1963-1991), George T. (Mickey) Leland (D-TX, 1979-1989), Parren J. Mitchell (D-
MD, 1971-1987), Robert N.C. Nix, Sr. (D-PA, 1958-1979), Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. (D-NY, 1945-1967, 1969-1971), Charles B. Rangel (D-NY, 1971- ), and Louis Stokes (D-OH, 1969-1999).
But even this is misleading. Most of those committee chairs were for select, or temporary, committees or they were for relatively insignificant committees. By way of demonstating this I will just show a sampling.
Yvonne Burke was the chairwoman of the House Select Committee on the House Beauty Shop in the 94th and 95th Congress. William Clay was the chairman of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee in the 102nd-103rd Congress.
Ronald Dellums and Charles Diggs chaired the House Committee on the District of Columbia for years. Dellums did serve one session as chair of Armed Services (probably the most significant post ever held by an African-American in Congress). Some other members served as chair of the House Standards of Official Conduct Committee. Mickey Leland was chair of the House Select Committee on Hunger. Robert Nix served one session as chair of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee. Charlie Rangel was chair of the House Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control. You get the idea.
In the entire history of the country, blacks have held only three significant chairs. Adam Clayton Powell chaired the Education and Labor Committee for three sessions. Augustus Hawkins also chaired that committee for a session and a half, plus he chaired the House Administration Committee. And, as I mentioned above, Dellums spent a session as chair of Armed Services.
All of this is about to change dramatically if we can win control of the House in November.
Charlie Rangel is the ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee. John Conyers, Jr. is the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. Bennie Thompson is the ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee. Juanita Millender-McDonald is the ranking member on the House Administration Committee. And Alcee Hastings is the second ranking member of the Intelligence Committee and is rumored to be favored by Pelosi for the chair of that committee. That puts five African-Americans in line to be chairs of House committees. That’s a third of the total from the last 230 years. And, more importantly, these are not minor committees. Judiciary, Intelligence, Homeland Security, and Ways and Means are MAJOR committees. House Administration is in charge of all the voting procedures in this country. This is a revolution of black power unseen previously in the halls of Congress.
As an added bonus we can add Nydia M. Velazquez, who is the ranking member on the Small Business committee and Barney Frank, a homosexual, is the ranking member of the Financial Services Committee.
By way of contrast, right now there are 21 congressional committees chaired by 21 white men. In the Senate, Susan Collins chairs Homeland Security and Olympia Snowe chairs Small Business. They are the only non-male chairpersons in either chamber of Congress.
As I have noted elsewhere, this too could change if the Democrats take the Senate. For example, Diane Feinstein stands a good chance of getting the chair of Rules. Boxer has a shot at Environment.
I have worked in the inner city registering voters and doing GOTV. I know that the Democratic Party has been taking the black community for granted, and only showing up at election time. But that was largely because the Democratic leadership did not represent the inner city. That could be about to change. It may make Republicans nervous, but I am tremendously excited about it.
