KAPPA NEWS: LAW AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
52 Years of Service: The Honorable John Conyers, 52 nd Laurel Wreath Laureate
House Committee on the Judiciary. Previously, he served as Chair of the Committee on Government Operations (now the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform). He is the first African-American to hold the distinction as Dean (most senior member) of Congress. In Congressman Conyers’ 52 years of public service, he has been a major proponent of more than 100 pieces of critical legislation including the original Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Motor Voter Bill of 1993, the Alcohol Warning Label Act of 1988, and the Jazz Preservation Act of 1987. Congressman Conyers was also the driving force behind the Help America Vote Act of 2002. On April 8, 1968, just four days after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, TN, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) introduced the first bill to establish January 15 th , the slain leader’s birthday, as a Federal holiday. Conyers would persist year after year, Congress after Congress, in introducing the same bill again and again, gathering cosponsors along the way, until his persistence finally paid off some 15 years later when President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday bill into law on Nov. 2, 1983, thus making the third Monday of January an official Federal holiday. “I consider Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to be the greatest American figure of the 20 th century. When I introduced the bill to establish the Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday, it was not only for his work to promote equality for African-Americans. His advocacy for diplomacy over conflict and for spending on human needs instead of weapons of war was also one of his enduring contributions to mankind,” Rep. Conyers said. Congressman has served more than a half century in the Congress, challenging the status quo that has too often been counterproductive to the citizens who have been historically underserved. Brother Conyers answered the pertinent question; should young people not be cynical about politics? “The whole idea of the advancement of minorities has taken root because of political activism. The African- American progress, which I credit Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with restarting, happened due to the civil rights movement. As he ascended
into leadership, not only through his oratory, but also through his writing as well, and most of all, his political activism. Democracy isn’t perfect. The Citizens United decision made it worse as an unbelievable attempt to take government out of requiring fair elections.” I see it as absolutely critical that we continue “boot camps” for young people to get interested. .... Because in the end, the decisions that determine who gets what in America (are) going to be made by our government. Elections count. Votes do matter. It is incredibly important that we encourage as much participation as we can [and] turning out more people to express their opinion through the voting process is a help to the system itself, regardless of what the issues are. Because if you really don’t believe that there are consequences, then you are asleep at the switch.” The Detroit community has honored the legacy of a living legend who has had an outstanding career as a public servant with a focus upon civil rights and inequality everywhere. The world has come to know Congressman Conyers through his proactive advocacy for all peoples of the world, especially those who have found justice elusive in Detroit, throughout the nation and the world. According to Thomas L. Battles, Jr., Grand Polemarch; “Brother John Conyers has been a ‘brother’s brother’ in Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. Brothers across the fraternity have been able to call upon this champion of human rights for consultation and guidance throughout the years. Brother Conyers has demonstrated a temperament of humility and a willingness to assist brothers on matters in the public and private sectors. It is important to his constituency in Michigan, as well as citizens throughout our nation, that Brother Conyers continue to be a beacon light for human rights and social justice. Brother Conyers does not bear the title of ‘Dean of the House’ solely because of longevity, but because of the indispensable quality of his service. We honor this great brother, who will go down in the annals of our fraternity as one of the greatest public servants, who wears the crimson and cream.”
C ongressman Conyers, born in Detroit, MI, attended Northwestern High School. Upon graduation, he matriculated to Wayne State University for his undergraduate and legal studies. Congressman Conyers served in the National Guard and the United States Army Corps of Engineers during the Korean War. Congressman Conyers is married to Monica Ann Esters, and they have two sons John III and Carl Edward. The Honorable John J. Conyers, Jr. Esq. was initiated at the University of Washington, the Gamma Eta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity in 1951 and is presently a member of the Detroit (MI) Alumni Chapter. Brother Conyers is revered in Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, and was honored in 2003 as the 52 nd recipient of the Laurel Wreath, the highest award bestowed on a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. Brother Conyers was among 13 founding members of The Congressional Black Caucus, which was established in 1971. Among these founding members were 5 members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.; Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI); Rep. William L. Clay, Sr. (D-MO); Rep. Ralph H. Metcalfe (D-IL); Rep. Louis Stokes (D-OH); and Del. Walter E. Fauntroy (D-DC). Other founding members were: Rep. Shirley A. Chisholm (D-N.Y.); Rep. George W. Collins (D-Ill.); Rep. Ronald V. Dellums (D-Calif.); Rep. Charles C. Diggs, Jr. (D-Mich.); Rep. Augustus F. Hawkins (D-Calif.); Rep. Parren J. Mitchell (D-Md.); Rep. Robert N.C. Nix, Sr. (D-Pa.); and Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) Conyers, a Democrat, began his congressional tenure as the representative for Michigan's 1st congressional district (1965-1992), which encompasses the Detroit metropolitan area; the 14 th congressional district (1993-2012); and Michigan's 13 th congressional where he has served since Jan 3, 2013. He is the current Ranking Member and a former chair of the
By Earl T. Tildon
186 | FALL 2017 THE JOURNAL
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