LOS ANGELES, Calif.–The Los Angeles Black community will roll out the red carpet this Saturday as one of the most powerful Black men in the United States makes appearances throughout the city.
Congressman James Clyburn (D-SC), who holds the title of Majority Whip for the 110th Congress, will speak at Anthony Samad, Ph.D.’s Urban Issues Forum and hold a press conference in conjunction with California Speaker Emeritus Karen Bass on Saturday at First A.M.E. Church, located at 1968 W. Adams Blvd. in Los Angeles.
The forum is free and open to the public. Discussions begin at 10:30 a.m.
Clyburn currently holds the third highest position in the U.S. House of Representatives, and is the first South Carolinian and the second African American to hold the post.
The congressman was also considered for the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama cabinet. Although he did not receive that position, his eldest daughter, Mignon Clyburn was appointed to the Federal Communications Commission.
As a youth growing up in Sumter, SC, Clyburn was heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement, and began his march toward justice at the tender age of 12. He became a youth NAACP chapter president in his hometown and participated in marches and demonstrations. Growing up, it was his dream to become a powerful politician.
The congressman launched his drive to win a congressional seat in 1970, when he unsuccessfully ran for the South Carolina House of Representatives. But after making a quite hilariously obvious comment to local papers, saying, “I lost because I didn’t get enough votes,” then newly elected governor John Carl West appointed him to his administration as the first African American advisor to a South Carolina governor since post Reconstruction.
From there, Clyburn climbed his way up the political ladder.
Now that he has reached one pinnacle in his career, the majority leader has made headway and headlines.
In the controversial 2004 presidential election, he was one of the 31 members of the House who voted to not count the electoral votes from Ohio. Clyburn is also known for criticizing former president Bill Clinton’s belittling remarks regarding President Barack Obama’s victory.
Being an advocate for education, Clyburn also has a personal charity–the Research and Scholarship Foundation, and through its auspices, each year, he hosts a charity golf tournament that raises money for needy students in his South Carolina district.
At the Los Angeles forum, Clyburn will address some of the most pressing issues of the times in America including job growth, health care reform, and financial reform.
Reservations are required to attend the forum. Call (323) 789-6224.
