 Mfume delivering a speech at NOAA during Black History Month, 2005 Kweisi Mfume (born Frizzell Gerald Gray, October 24, 1948 in Baltimore, Maryland) is the former President/CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as a five-term Democratic Congressman from Maryland's seventh district (serving in Congresses 100 - 104). He is currently engaged in a campaign for the United States Senate seat recently vacated by Maryland Senator Paul Sarbanes. Mfume is a member of the Prince Hall Freemasons.[1] Image File history File links Kweisi_Mfume_delivering_speech_at_NOAA.jpg‎ Description Kweisi Mfume, former president of the NAACP and former Congressman from Maryland, delivers a speech at a NOAA function during Black History Month, 2005. ...
Image File history File links Kweisi_Mfume_delivering_speech_at_NOAA.jpg‎ Description Kweisi Mfume, former president of the NAACP and former Congressman from Maryland, delivers a speech at a NOAA function during Black History Month, 2005. ...
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a scientific agency of the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere. ...
October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ...
1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ...
Nickname: Monument City, Charm City, Mob Town, B-more Motto: Get In On It (formerly The City That Reads and The Greatest City in America; BELIEVE is not the official motto but rather a specific campaign) Location of Baltimore in Maryland Coordinates: Country State County United States Maryland Independent City...
This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ...
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the job of having the ultimate executive responsibility or authority within an organization or corporation. ...
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, is one of the oldest and most influential civil rights organizations in the United States. ...
Categories: | ...
Seal of the U.S. Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ...
Paul Spyros Sarbanes (born February 3, 1933), a Democrat, is the senior United States Senator representing the state of Maryland. ...
Prince Hall Freemasonry derives from historically unique events which led to a tradition of separate, predominantly African-American, Freemasonic fraternal organization in North America. ...
Early life
Mfume was born Frizzell Gray in Baltimore, Maryland, October 24, 1948, the eldest of four. His father, a truck driver, abandoned his family in Gray's youth. Upon the death of his mother, Gray dropped out of high school at sixteen to begin work as many as three jobs at a time to support his three sisters. He also began hanging around street corners, sometimes with the wrong friends. In his biography, he reports that he "was locked up a couple of times on suspicion of theft because [he] happened to be black and happened to be young, and happened to be guilty." Speculation as to the degree of his entanglement with the law has varied, especially as he later came into prominence. He became father to five children with several different women during his difficult teenage years, whom he actively supports (and who actively support him in his politics) to this day. He has since adopted one child as well. Nickname: Monument City, Charm City, Mob Town, B-more Motto: Get In On It (formerly The City That Reads and The Greatest City in America; BELIEVE is not the official motto but rather a specific campaign) Location of Baltimore in Maryland Coordinates: Country State County United States Maryland Independent City...
October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ...
1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ...
At age twenty-three, it came upon Gray to change his life for the better. He returned to his studies and obtained his GED, going on to begin studies at the Community College of Baltimore where he served as the head of its Black Student Union and the editor of the school newspaper. He went on to attend Morgan State University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1976. He would go on to attain an M.A. in Liberal Arts in 1984, concentrating in International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. In the early 1970s, in recognition of his heritage and his success over his beginnings, he legally changed his name to Kweisi Mfume, a name from Ghana that translates to "Conquering Son of Kings". Morgan State University, located in residential Baltimore, Maryland, awards Baccalaureate, Masters and Doctorate degrees. ...
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. ...
1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ...
1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The Johns Hopkins University, founded in 1876, is a private institution of higher learning located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. ...
During these years, Mfume also worked as a radio station volunteer and eventually as an announcer in Baltimore City.
Politics In 1978, Kweisi Mfume ran for the Baltimore City Council and was elected by a narrow margin, serving there until 1986. His political stance was against that of then-mayor William Donald Schaefer, who Mfume believed had ignored the many poor neighborhoods of the city. It was a contentious matter, but despite his strong opinions he learned the art of political compromise. He was perceived by many to have had some success during his stay in office, a fact perhaps reflected by his subsequent election to the United States House of Representatives in 1986 despite a torrent of criticism, directed in no small part against his early past. Image File history File links Kweisimfume. ...
Image File history File links Kweisimfume. ...
1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...
William Donald Schaefer (born November 2, 1921), American politician, has served in public office for 50 years at both the state and local level in Maryland. ...
Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is, along with the United States Senate, one of the two houses of the Congress of the United States. ...
1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Serving in Maryland's seventh district for five terms, Kweisi made himself known as a Democrat with an apparent balance between strong progressive ideologies and a capacity for practical compromise, representing a district that included both West Baltimore and suburban and rural communities, though his primary goal was an increase in federal aid to American inner cities. In his fourth term he was made chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. Categories: | ...
The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing African American members of the Congress of the United States. ...
In February of 1996, Mfume left the House to accept the presidency of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, stating that he could do more to improve American civil rights there than in the Congress. He reformed the association's finances to pay off its considerable debt while pursuing the cause of civil rights advancement for African Americans. Mfume served this position for nine years before stepping down in 2004. 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, is one of the oldest and most influential civil rights organizations in the United States. ...
2006 United States Senate race -
On March 14, 2005, Mfume announced that he will seek the U.S. Senate seat of current senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), following the announcement by Sarbanes that he will not be running for re-election in 2006. [2] Multiple candidates are running for the Democratic nomination. Michael Steele, Maryland's lieutenant Governor and a fellow African American is the likely Republican nominee. The Maryland U.S. Senate election of 2006 will be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. ...
March 14 is the 73rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (74th in leap years) with 292 days remaining in the year. ...
2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Seal of the U.S. Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ...
Paul Spyros Sarbanes (born February 3, 1933), a Democrat, is the senior United States Senator representing the state of Maryland. ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The Democratic primary for this seat will be held on September 12, 2006 (last day to register for the primary is August 22) and the election itself will be held on November 7. September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
August 22 is the 234th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (235th in leap years), with 131 days remaining. ...
November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ...
Mfume on policy Iraq: "The first thing we have to do is admit that this is an illegal war. We are there for all the wrong reasons. I believe we’ve got to get out of there in a way that allows this nation to focus more of its time, resources and brave young men and women on the issue of homeland security. I don’t believe we’re making the world safer by being there. Being in Iraq has found a way to slow down our machinery in terms of real homeland security." [3]
"The American public was lied to deliberately, maliciously and unnecessarily about all these reasons that didn't really exist. And once we got there - as the leaders of our military say, "liberated Baghdad" - and once we were able to apprehend Saddam Hussein, we were all told that in another year the Iraqi forces would be able to take care of themselves. We would provide armament and training, et cetera. Well three years have gone by and today is like it was that first day. There's just no end in sight." [4]
"Twice this year, I stood with other concerned Americans in protest of the ongoing war in Iraq and in support of military families. The deaths of countless numbers of brave young men and women drive home the tragedy of this unnecessary war even more. Every day we send back into our society those soldiers who were not killed but instead were wounded, disfigured and paralyzed. And when they come back home, our government does very little for them or their families. We can do better." [5]
Immigration: "I like [House Judiciary Chairman] Jim Sensenbrenner, but he’s dead wrong with the House version that says, “Let’s put up a 700-mile wall around the United States. Let’s lock up every priest and every pastor that gives food or comfort to an illegal who may be dying on the street,” because that means you’re an automatic felon. That’s draconian, and that’s why you’re having the demonstrations taking place." [6]
Health Care: "I support universal health care. I have real serious problems with the Medicare prescription drug plan Part D. The “D” is for disaster. And it was drafted by the pharmaceuticals. This bill was terrible before it got out of the gate." [7]
"Americans without medical coverage are often charged up to three times more than those who have an insurance company to negotiate their hospital bills, and a visit to an emergency room can cost well over $1,000. In embracing and working with Maryland's exceptional medical facilities, Kweisi Mfume will fight to ensure that the best and most advanced health care in the world is affordable and accessible to everyone who needs it." [8]
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