From his humble beginnings in Sumter, South Carolina, to his
prominence on the Washington, D.C., political scene as the third
highest-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, U.S.
Congressman James E. Clyburn has led an extraordinary life. In
Blessed Experiences, Clyburn tells in his own inspirational words
how an African American boy from the Jim Crow-era South was able to
beat the odds to achieve great success and become, as President
Barack Obama describes him, "one of a handful of people who, when
they speak, the entire Congress listens."
Born in 1940 to a civic-minded beautician and a fundamentalist
minister, Clyburn began his ascent to leadership at the age of
twelve, when he was elected president of his National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) youth chapter. He
broke barriers through peaceful protests and steadfast beliefs in
equality and justice. Of his success Clyburn says he was "blessed
with nurturing parents, a supportive family, and loyal friends."
But, he added, "my life was not just about knocking down doors and
lowering barriers. I spent some time marching in the streets and
occupying the inside of South Carolina jails." As a civil rights
leader at South Carolina State College, as human affairs
commissioner under John C. West and three subsequent governors, and
as South Carolina's first African American congressman since 1897,
Clyburn has established a long and impressive record of public
leadership and advocacy for human rights, education, historic
preservation, and economic development.
Clyburn was elected to Congress in 1992. Serving as copresident of
his freshman class, he rose quickly through the ranks and was
elected chair of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1999 and House
Democratic Caucus vice chair in 2002. Three years later he was
unanimously elected chair of the Democratic Caucus. When Democrats
regained the House majority in 2006, Clyburn was elected House
majority whip. Now as assistant Democratic leader in the 112th
Congress, Clyburn, a self-described independent, prides himself on
working to overcome barriers and destroy myths without becoming too
predictable. "I have worked across party lines to further
legislative causes, and on occasion publicly differed with some of
my allies in the civil rights community," says Clyburn. "My
experiences have not always been pleasant, but I have considered
all of them blessings."
Blessed Experiences includes a foreword from Emmy Award-winning
actress and the congressman's longtime friend Alfre Woodard.
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