Kennedy, Through the Eyes of a Black Lobbyist

 

August 30, 2009 -Washington, DC) - One of my most treasured mementos from my 30 years in politics, (over half of that time spent as a lobbyist in Washington) is a note from Senator Kennedy from 1982 a few days after the Voting Rights Act Extension was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.

In it the Senator thanks me for “a splendid job” lobbying for the Act. The legislation is an enormously potent civil rights law that fueled the growth of African American and Latino political power in the last five decades.

 It was wonderful to be a 20-something neophyte civil rights lobbyist — and a rare black and female one at that– and to receive such an affirming note from a powerful and famous Senator. But that’s the kind of man he was — one who cared enough to make sure that a young person embarking upon her advocacy career felt his appreciation.

There are dozens of stories like mine floating around Washington, DC from civil rights and civil liberties advocates, but there are not dozens of legislators like Senator Kennedy.

During our meetings on the Voting Rights Act in 1982 Kennedy knew that the situation was dire – if we did not make a case for the Act it would have expired that year, and that would be a huge civil rights setback. Sen. Kennedy latched on to the Voting Rights battle and he kicked around ideas, he internalized it, he looked at the provisions and he figured out how he would sell it to his colleagues in Congress and to the President. He knew how to count his votes.

 As a young black woman in a largely white, male dominated profession, I made it my business to know where each Senator stood so that he could rely on my vote representations.

One of the things that made working with his office easier for many of us was that Kennedy was one of the few Senators – Democratic or Republican – who hired black professionals. He probably holds the Senate record for his early and consistent commitment to a racially integrated staff. Notable individuals who were his senior advisors include the late Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown, Robert Bates who became a successful corporate lobbyist, John Minor in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, Charlotte Burrows who is at the Department of Justice and Melody Barnes, now head of President Obama’s Domestic Policy Council.

 These individuals made it easier for us to convey our concerns, because people who had felt racial discrimination were in his midst on a daily basis not only as secretaries and interns, but also as policy leaders who could whisper in his ear.

 I am grateful for his commitment to civil rights and social justice issues, but also for his ability to ensure that racial minorities had a seat at the table. It made for a more effective and inclusive advocacy effort.

Kennedy never thought the civil rights movement was over or out of vogue; he did not waver from talking about race. He kept the issue of racial disparities on the table and constantly reminded everyone that Dr. King’s dream had not been realized.

 He was not afraid to use the terms “black” and “brown.” He was willing to look at legislation and assess them through a prism of their possible impact on race or civil liberties. He was also very aware that economic issues such as access to and the cost of health care, minimum wage, welfare reform, student loans and child care were as integral to the advancement of people of color as civil rights statutes.

We will miss this tireless and optimistic ally who came to us in the form of Edward Moore Kennedy. We should regain some of that optimism, and like him, refuse to make assumptions about the limits of our ability to win the hearts and minds of the American people and their legislators – regardless of party affiliation.

That does not mean we will win every effort or persuade every opponent. But in dozens of legislative battles, Sen. Kennedy fueled an energetic and integrated level of civil discourse and political advocacy that serves as a model for us all.

Advertisement