Generation of Black Political Leaders Departs Congress as Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Celebrates 50th Anniversary
A significant number of long-serving Black political leaders are departing Congress, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF). This generation of lawmakers, many of whom have roots in the Civil Rights Movement or extensive experience in state and city government, have championed issues such as voting rights, gun violence, poverty, education, and racial discrimination. Among those leaving or not seeking re-election are Democratic Reps. Mark Veasey (Texas), Bonnie Watson Coleman (New Jersey), Danny Davis (Illinois), Dwight Evans (Pennsylvania), Frederica Wilson (Florida), and Cleo Fields (Louisiana), along with D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton. Their departures mark a transition period for Black political leadership on Capitol Hill, as the CBCF celebrates its five decades of developing leaders and conducting policy research under the theme 'Rooted, Ready and Rising.'