African American Hero of the Day
Who was chosen by President Jimmy Carter to be secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development?
- She was also secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
- She was the first African American woman to be named an ambassador to Luxembourg.
- She held a doctorate from George Washington University Law School.
- During the last two years of her life, she was a law professor at her alma mater.
Patricia Harris (1924-1985)
U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
As U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, Patricia Harris was the first black woman to hold this diplomatic rank. Until President Ronald Reagan won the election in 1980, Harris served as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and also as secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Jimmy Carter.
Born in Mattoon, Illinois, Harris attended elementary school in Chicago and received her undergraduate degree from Howard University in 1945. While at Howard, Harris also served as vice-chairman of a student branch of the NAACP and was involved in early nonviolent demonstrations against racial discrimination. After completing postgraduate work at the University of Chicago and at American University, she earned her doctorate in jurisprudence from George Washington University Law School in 1960.
An attorney and professor before she entered politics, Harris was appointed cochair of the National Women's Committee on Civil Rights by President John F. Kennedy and was later named to the Commission on the Status of Puerto Rico. In 1965, Harris was chosen by President Lyndon Johnson to become U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, the first black woman ever to be named an American envoy.
In 1977, Harris was chosen by President Jimmy Carter to serve as secretary of Housing and Urban Development. She was also selected as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in 1979. Harris remained in these positions until the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Harris ran an unsuccessful campaign for mayor of Washington, D.C. in 1982. She became a law professor at George Washington University in 1983 and remained there until her death from cancer in 1985.
From African American Almanac: 400 Years of Triumph, Courage and Excellence by Lean'tin Bracks, (c) 2012 Visible Ink Press(R). A wealth of milestones, inspiration, and challenges met . . .
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