Just Permanent Interests; Black Americans in Congress, 1870-1991

New York: Amistad Press, 1992. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. 24 cm. xv, [1], 412, [2] pages. Illustrations. Chapter notes. Appendices. Index. Slight wear DJ edges. Foreword by L. Douglas Wilder. Inscribed by the author. William Lacy Clay Sr. (born April 30, 1931) is an American politician from Missouri. As Congressman from Missouri's First District, he represented portions of St. Louis in the U.S. House of Representatives for 32 years. Clay was elected to the House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1968. He became an advocate for environmentalism, labor issues, and social justice. Clay faced ethics charges in the 1970s for billing the government on auto trips while flying on airlines, and the House banking scandal revealed that Clay had 328 overdrafts. In 1993, Clay helped to pass the Family and Medical Leave Act. From 1991 until the Democrats lost control of Congress in 1995, Clay chaired the House Committee on the Post Office and Civil Service. In 2000, he retired from the House and his son William L. Clay Jr. succeeded him. William L. Clay, one of the most important players in Congress, offers a candid, up-to-date history of black elected officials in the U.S. Congress. As a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, William L. Clay shares thirty-four years of experiences and insight into the political process and the roles that black elected officials have played in the process, from the post-Civil War era up to now. From the election of Senator Hiram R. Revels in 1870 to the election of Congresswoman Maxine Waters in 1991, Congressman Clay dispels the myths and misinformation about black politicians. He recounts their struggles, victories and losses, and sets the record straight about the contributions they have made, which benefit Americans of all ethnicities. Congressman Clay documents black involvement in politics during the Reconstruction era, then brings the reader through the turmoil of the Civil Rights Movement. He reveals the politics and the events that led to the Congressional Black Caucus. Condition: Very good / Very good.

Keywords: U.S. Congress, Adam Clayton Powell, African-Americans, Black Legislators, Afro-Americans, Politics and Government, Congressional Black Caucus, Shirley Chisholm, Civil Rights, African-Americans, Racism, Discrimination, John Conyers, Walter Fauntroy, C

ISBN: 1567430007

[Book #51512]

Price: $45.00