2024 Phoenix Awards | Program Book by Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

September 14, 2024 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

The Legacy of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Phoenix Awards

Each year, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. recognizes extraordinary individuals who, through their efforts and accomplishments, have made significant contributions to society. These individuals receive the prestigious, CBCF-commissioned Phoenix Award.

Legend says that the phoenix bird lived a solitary life in a faraway land. When the phoenix knew its time had come, it chose the tallest palm tree on which it built a nest filled with essences such as myrrh and cassia. At the next dawn, the sun ignited the fragrant spices as the phoenix expired. After nine days, a fledgling phoenix rose out of the ashes.

Like its namesake, the Phoenix Award symbolizes the immortality of the human spirit and an eternal desire to reach its full potential. As we honor this year’s awardees, we recall North Carolina Representative George Henry White’s 1901 farewell address to Congress. Born enslaved in Rosindale, North Carolina, Representative White was elected to the House of Representatives in 1896. He campaigned for increased spending on African American education and proposed a bill that would make the lynching of American citizens a federal crime.

Representative White was aware that his outspoken comments on civil rights would result in the loss of his next election. In his last speech to Congress, Representative White issued a declaration to his colleagues about the future of the Negro in the American Congress.

THIS, MR. CHAIRMAN, IS PERHAPS THE NEGROES’ TEMPORARY FAREWELL TO THE AMERICAN CONGRESS; BUT LET ME SAY, PHOENIX-LIKE HE WILL RISE UP SOMEDAY AND COME AGAIN

FORMER REPRESENTATIVE GEORGE HENRY WHITE

PROGRAM

MUSICAL SELECTIONS: 105 VOICES OF HISTORY HBCU QUARTET

National Anthem

Black National Anthem

WELCOME REMARKS AND AWARD GREETING Event Hosts: Sherri Shephard and Roy Woods Jr.

DC MAYOR REMARKS

Muriel Bowser, Mayor, Washington D.C.

CBCF PCEO REMARKS & INTRODUCTIONS

Nicole Austin-Hillery, President and CEO, CBCF

CBCF CHAIR REMARKS & INTRODUCTIONS

Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell, Chair, CBCF Board of Directors

CROSS—TV SERIES INTRODUCTION

Aldis Hodge, Actor

SPONSOR REMARKS

Tonya Hallet VP, PXT, Amazon Stores

CBC CHAIR REMARKS

Congressman Steven Horsford, Chair, CBC

PARADE OF CONGRESS

118th Congressional Black Caucus Members

ALUMNI OF THE YEAR REMARKS

Tony Bishop, CBCF Leadership Institute

PROGRAM

CBC BODY AWARD

Presented by House Leader Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke

CBCF CHAIR AWARD

Presented by Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell

ALC HONORARY CO-CHAIR AWARD

Presented by Congresswoman Lucy Mcbath And Congressman Troy Carter, ALC Honorary Co-Chairs

CBC CHAIR’S AWARDS

Presented by Congressman Steven Horsford

SPECIAL RECOGINITION OF DEPARTING MEMBERS

Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Congressman Cori Bush, , Congresswoman Laphonza Butler

SPECIAL AWARD: MISSION IN ACTION

Presented by Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell and Congressman Jim Clyburn

REMARKS & INTRODUCTION

Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell and Congressman Steven Horsford

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

President Joe Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris, United States

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE

Fantasia

CLOSING REMARKS

AFTER-PARTY MUSICAL PERFORMANCE

DJ KOOL

AARP

Adtalem Global Education

Affirm

AFSCME

AFT

Altria

Amazon

AMC Networks

American Association for Justice

American Cancer Society

Amgen

Apple

Aramark

AT&T

Aventiv Technologies

AWS

Bank of America

Baxter

BILT

Bristol Myers Squibb

Brownstein

Caesars Entertainment

Campaign for Tobacco Free

Kids

Charter Communications

Chevron

Cisco

Coca-Cola

Coinbase

Comcast

Communities First

Conoco Phillips

THANK YOU SPONSORS

PLATINUM SPONSORS

Corteva

Council of Federal Home

Loan Banks

Cox

CWA

DaVita

Dell

Delta Airlines

DFW Airport

Disney

DNC

Dominion Energy

Dow

Edison International

Eli Lilly

Entertainment Software

Association

Everytown for Gun Safety

Exelon

Exxon Mobil

Fedex

Ferring Pharmaceuticals

Fidelity

Ford Motor Co

GEICO

Genentech

General Motors

Gilead

Google

Gray Global Advisors

Greenberg Traurig

HK Law

Intuit

Johnson & Johnson

JP Morgan Chase

Julie & Andrew Rubinstein

KKR

Liberty Media

LIUNA

Lonnie Johnson Family

Lowes

MasterCard

McDonalds

2024 PREMIER SPONSOR

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation thanks Amazon for its generous sponsorship of the Phoenix Awards, and its commitment to uplifting our mission to advance the global Black community.

2024 PHOENIX AWARDS HOSTS

SHERRI SHEPHARD

Sherri Shepherd is a Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show host, comedian, actress, and best-selling author, known for her authentic and comedic perspective on her nationally syndicated talk show, SHERRI. Dubbed “TV’s New Feel Good Queen,” Shepherd connects with audiences through her warm and relatable personality, offering a comedic take on entertainment news, pop culture, and trending topics. Her ability to engage and entertain has made her a beloved figure in daytime television.

Shepherd’s remarkable success is underscored by her 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host and her two 2023 NAACP Image Awards for her work on SHERRI and the podcast Two Funny Mamas, which she co-hosts with fellow comedian Kym Whitley. These accolades reflect her dedication to delivering quality entertainment that resonates with a diverse audience.

With a career spanning three decades, Shepherd’s longevity in the entertainment industry is a testament to her immense talent and undeniable appeal. In 2023, SHERRI earned four Daytime Emmy nominations, further solidifying Shepherd’s status as a leading figure in daytime television. Beyond her talk show, she has starred in acclaimed TV series such as HBO MAX’s Sex Lives of College Girls and Netflix’s Mr. Iglesias, showcasing her versatility as an actress.

Shepherd has made history on multiple fronts, becoming the first African-American woman to host a game show with four successful seasons of The Newlywed Game. She also broke new ground by portraying the first African-American Evil Stepmother in the Broadway production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

As a stand-up comic, Shepherd continues to bring laughter and excitement to live audiences. She has

toured with legendary musicians KEM and Babyface and opened for Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias at his recordbreaking comedy show at Dodgers Stadium, which drew more than 45,000 attendees. Her involvement in the all-female Ladies Night Out Comedy Tour further highlights her influence in the comedy world.

In addition to her on-screen and on-stage accomplishments, Shepherd runs her own production company, Faith Walker, through which she co-hosts the two-time NAACP Image Award-winning podcast Two Funny Mamas. A New York Times best-selling author, she has penned two books, including Plan D: How to Lose Weight and Beat Diabetes (Even If You Don’t Have It), and Permission Slips: Every Woman’s Guide to Giving Herself a Break.

Beyond her professional achievements, Shepherd is a passionate advocate for inclusivity, representation, and the empowerment of underrepresented communities. She uses her platform to champion causes close to her heart, including support for children with special needs and advancing opportunities for women in the workplace. Her commitment to positive change both in the entertainment industry and society at large underscores her lasting impact.

With her undeniable talent and unwavering dedication, Sherri Shepherd continues to be a powerful force in the entertainment industry, inspiring others and captivating audiences around the world.

ROY WOODS JR.

Roy Wood Jr. is an Emmy-nominated comedian, writer, producer, actor, radio personality, and podcaster primarily known for his stand-up comedy and work as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show since 2015.

He has executive produced several projects including the PBS documentary The Neutral Ground, an HBO MAX project 1% Happy and an untitled medical field comedy for NBC. He collaborates on two Comedy Central podcasts, Roy’s Job Fair and Beyond the Scenes. In 2017, he was named the host of Comedy Central’s This Is Not Happening. He has performed several stand-up specials on Comedy Central. His second stand-up special, Roy Wood Jr.: No One Loves You, remains Comedy Central’s highest-rated original stand-up premiere.

He has entertained millions across stage, television, and radio. Before The Daily Show, co-starred in three seasons in TBS’s Sullivan & Son, and he remains a regular guest star on various ESPN shows and the MLB Network. He has been published in The New York Times. Forbes declared he is “One of comedy’s best journalists,” Entertainment Weekly has described his thought-provoking comedy as “. . . charismatic crankiness. . .” and Variety Magazine named him “One of 10 Comics to Watch in 2016.”

In 2006, he debuted on network television on The Late Show with David Letterman. In 2008, he appeared on HBO’s historic Def Comedy Jam and was selected by America as one of the top three finalists on Last Comic Standing on NBC. He has appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyer, Conan, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He also performed on numerous USO Tours for our Troops stationed everywhere from Guam to Iraq to the Philippines.

During the pandemic, Roy has spent time raising money for the displaced staff of comedy clubs through tipyourwaitstaff.com and Laugh Aid. In his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, his philanthropic endeavors include supporting Workshops, Inc., which enriches lives by helping people with disabilities and other employment barriers achieve their vocational potential. The DUBS Baseball Academy is an investment in sports to change lives. STAIR of Birmingham, where tutoring empowers students to read better and dream bigger. Also, I See Me, Inc., where the mission is to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline by increasing the literacy rates in children of color by engaging them in the literature that reflects their culture and image.

CBC BODY PHOENIX AWARD

Presented to an individual who has contributed immeasurably to African American political awareness, empowerment and the advancement of minorities in the electoral process.

This year’s award is presented by House Leader Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke to:

THE LATE, REPRESENTATIVE

SHEILA JACKSON LEE

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is an influential and forceful voice in Washington. She is serving her tenth term (20 years) as a member of the United States House of Representatives. She represents the 18th Congressional District of Texas, centered in Houston, which is the energy capital of the world. Considered by many as the “Voice of Reason”, she is dedicated to upholding the Constitutional rights of all people.

During Congresswoman Jackson Lee’s tenure in Congress she has served on various Committees including the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, and Judiciary. In the 110th and 111th Congress, Congresswoman Jackson Lee served as Chairwoman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection. As Chairwoman, Congresswoman Jackson Lee was a leader in support of enhanced technology, better intelligence, increased airplane cargo inspections, increased security for railroads, and implementation of the 9/11 Commission report. She currently serves as the Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection. Congresswoman Jackson Lee is also a senior Member of the House Judiciary Committee where she is a leader on Bullying Prevention. She was the lead sponsor of the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act of 2011 and is leading the fight once again with her current bill HR 5770 with support from producers Harvey

Weinstein and Lee Hirsch—producers of the film ‘Bully’. She also led the fight for passage of the Fair Sentencing Act and this year garnered unanimous support to amend the 2012 Defense Authorization Bill that creates a day of honor for the return of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. She has authored several immigration bills, such as H.R. 750, the “Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act”, which sets forth a comprehensive and humane solution to the immigration problem, introduced legislation to enhance federal enforcement of hate crimes with H.R. 254, the David Ray Hate Crimes Prevention Act, played a significant role in the renewal and reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, and contributed an amendment to the NASA reauthorization bill that will ensure equal access for minority and economically disadvantaged students to NASA’s education programs. In addition, Congresswoman Jackson Lee launched the Dr. Mae C. Jemison Grant Program to work with institutions serving minorities to bring more women of color in the field of space and aeronautics.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee earned a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University with honors, followed by a J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School. She is married to Dr. Elwyn Lee who is an Administrator at the University of Houston. She has two children Jason Lee a graduate of Harvard University and Erica Lee a graduate of Duke University and a Member of the Harris County School Board in Houston, Texas.

CBCF CHAIR’S PHOENIX AWARD

Presented to an individual whose work and accomplishments serve as a role model for the African American community and the African Diaspora.

This year’s award is presented by Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell to:

DR. CARLA HAYDEN

AMERICAN LIBRARIAN

14 th Librarian of Congress

Carla Hayden was sworn in as the 14th Librarian of Congress on September 14, 2016. Dr. Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to lead the national library, was nominated to the position by President Barack Obama on February 24, 2016, and her nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate later that year on July 13.

Her vision for America’s national library, connecting all Americans to the Library of Congress, has redefined and modernized the Library’s mission: to engage, inspire and inform Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source of knowledge and creativity.

During her tenure, Dr. Hayden has prioritized efforts to make the Library and its unparalleled collections more accessible to the public. Through her social media presence, events and activities, she has introduced new audiences to many of the Library’s treasures –from Frederick Douglass’ papers, to the contents of President Abraham Lincoln’s pockets on the night of his assassination, to James Madison’s crystal flute made famous by Lizzo.

By investing in information technology infrastructure and digitization efforts, she has enabled the American people to explore, discover and engage with more with this treasure trove of America’s stories maintained by the Library of Congress, even if they never visit the Library’s buildings in and around Washington, D.C.

With the support of a $15 million grant from Mellon Foundation, in 2021, Dr. Hayden launched the Of the People initiative, which is creating new opportunities for more Americans, especially Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and other communities of color underrepresented in

the Library’s collections, to engage with the Library and add their perspectives to the Library’s collections. The initiative has three programs that invest in communitybased documentarians; fund paid internships and fellowships to engage the next generation of diverse librarians, archivists and knowledge workers; and invite underserved communities and institutions to create digital engagements with Library collections.

Prior to her current role, Dr. Hayden was the CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland, since 1993. She was the deputy commissioner and chief librarian of the Chicago Public Library from 1991 to 1993, an assistant professor of library and information science at the University of Pittsburgh from 1987 to 1991 and library services coordinator for the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago from 1982 to 1987. She began her career with the Chicago Public Library as the young adult services coordinator from 1979 to 1982 and as a library associate and children’s librarian from 1973 to 1979.

Dr. Hayden was president of the American Library Association from 2003 to 2004. In 1995, she was the first African American to receive Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year Award in recognition of her outreach services at the Pratt Library, which included an after-school center for Baltimore teens offering homework assistance and college and career counseling. Hayden received a B.A. from Roosevelt University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the Graduate Library School of the University of Chicago. Among her numerous civic and professional memberships and awards, Dr. Hayden is an elected member of the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

ALC CO-CHAIRS’ PHOENIX AWARD

Presented to an individual who exemplifies leadership and social responsibility on a national level.

This year’s award is presented by Congresswoman Lucy McBath and Congressman Troy Carter to:

WES MOORE GOVERNOR OF

MARYLAND

Wes Moore is the 63rd Governor of the state of Maryland. He is Maryland’s first Black Governor in the state’s 246-year history, and is just the third African American elected Governor in the history of the United States.

Born in Takoma Park, Maryland, on October 15, 1978, to Joy and Westley Moore, Moore’s life took a tragic turn when his father died of a rare, but treatable virus when he was just three years old. After his father’s death, his family moved to the Bronx to live with Moore’s grandparents before returning to Maryland at age 14.

Moore is a proud graduate of Valley Forge Military Academy and College, where he received an Associate’s degree in 1998, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Afterward, he went on to earn his Bachelor’s in international relations and economics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

While at Johns Hopkins, Moore interned in the office of former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke. Moore was the first Black Rhodes Scholar in the history of Johns Hopkins University. As a Rhodes Scholar, he earned a Master’s in international relations from Wolfson College at Oxford.

In 2005, Moore deployed to Afghanistan as a captain with the 82nd Airborne Division, leading soldiers in combat. Immediately upon returning home, Moore served as a White House Fellow, advising on issues of national security and international relations.

In 2010, Moore wrote “The Other Wes Moore,” a story about the fragile nature of opportunity in America, which became a perennial New York Times bestseller. He went on to write other best-selling books that reflect on issues of race, equity, and opportunity, including his latest book “Five Days,” which tells the story of Baltimore in the days that followed the death of Freddie Gray in 2015.

Moore built and launched a Baltimore-based business called BridgeEdU, which reinvented freshman year of college for underserved students to increase their likelihood of longterm success. BridgeEdu was acquired by the Brooklyn-based student financial success platform, Edquity, in 2018.

It was Moore’s commitment to taking on our toughest challenges that brought him to the Robin Hood Foundation, where he served for four years as CEO. During his tenure, the Robin Hood Foundation distributed over $600 million toward lifting families out of poverty, including here in Maryland.

While the Robin Hood Foundation is headquartered in New York City, Wes and his family never moved from their home in Baltimore.

Moore has also worked in finance with Deutsche Bank in London and with Citigroup in New York.

Moore and his wife, First Lady Dawn Flythe Moore, have two children—Mia, 13; and James, 10—and a dog, Tucker Balti.

SPECIAL AWARD MISSION IN ACTION

This year’s award is presented by Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell and Congressman Jim Clyburn:

JAIME HARRISON DNC CHAIR

As the son of a single teenage mom, Jaime Harrison was raised by his grandparents in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Jaime knows what it’s like for a family to have to choose between paying the electric bill and putting food on the table, and what it feels like to go to sleep in a home with no heat, because the power was shut off.

But thanks to a good public school education, the love of his family, and the support of his community, Jaime was able to earn a scholarship to Yale University and attend Georgetown Law. After college, Jaime came back home to Orangeburg to teach at his old

high school, then worked to help empower disadvantaged kids to attend college. Jaime also served as an aide to legendary South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn. In 2013, Jaime was elected the first African American chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, a position he held until 2017, when he was appointed by DNC Chair Tom Perez as an Associate Chair of the DNC. In 2020, Jaime ran for the U.S. Senate from South Carolina, building a national grassroots movement and setting a fundraising record for the most raised by a Senate candidate. Jaime and his wife Marie live in Columbia, South Carolina, where they raise their two young sons.

U.S. President

JOSEPH ROBINETTE BIDEN JR.

President Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the first of four children of Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden and Joseph Robinette Biden, Sr. In 1953, the Biden family moved to Claymont, Delaware. President Biden graduated from the University of Delaware and Syracuse Law School and served on the New Castle County Council. At age 29, President Biden became one of the youngest Americans ever elected to the United States Senate. Just weeks after his Senate election, tragedy struck when his wife Neilia and daughter Naomi were killed, and sons Hunter and Beau were critically injured, in a car accident. He was sworn into the U.S. Senate at his sons’ hospital bedsides and began commuting from Wilmington to Washington every day, first by car, and then by train, in order to be with his family. In 1977, he married Jill Jacobs, and in 1980, their family was complete with the birth of their daughter Ashley.

As a Senator from Delaware for 36 years, thenSenator Biden played a leading role addressing some of our nation’s most important domestic and international challenges, including writing the Violence Against Women Act. As Vice President, he worked alongside President Obama to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, oversee the then-largest economic recovery plan in history, and strengthen American leadership on the world stage.

The 46th President of the United States

In 2020, President Biden ran for the White House to restore the Soul of America, rebuild the backbone of America – the middle class, and unite the country. After being sworn in as the 46th President on January 20th, 2021, he took swift action to get America vaccinated and jumpstart an economic recovery that created more jobs than any other President has created in four years.

The President’s agenda is investing in all Americans. His Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is rebuilding our roads and bridges, removing lead pipes, and expanding highspeed internet access. His Inflation Reduction Act is the largest investment in climate action in history. And his CHIPS and Science Act is making cutting-edge technology here in America with American workers.

The President beat Big Pharma—negotiating lower prescription drug costs and capping insulin at $35 a month for seniors. His agenda is lowering health insurance costs, cutting utility bills, and taking on corporate rip-offs like junk fees. The President nominated the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. He signed into law the first meaningful gun safety bill in nearly 30 years. And on the world stage, President Biden has strengthened our alliances and restored American leadership. He has rallied the world to stand up to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, expanded NATO which is now larger and stronger than ever before, and increased America’s influence in the Indo-Pacific.

President Biden came to office determined to build an administration that looks like America — and that’s what he’s done. He served as Vice President to the nation’s first Black President, and now serves as President alongside the nation’s first Black woman to be Vice President. President Biden has been at the center of the great American story of expanding opportunity and making real the promise of America to everyone.

U.S. Vice President

KAMALA D. HARRIS

On January 20, 2021, Kamala Harris was sworn in as Vice President—the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected to this position.

As Vice President, she has worked to bring people together to advance opportunity, deliver for families, and protect fundamental freedoms across the country. She has led the fight for the freedom of women to make decisions about their own bodies, the freedom to live safe from gun violence, the freedom to vote, and the freedom to drink clean water and breathe clean air. While making history at home, she is also representing the nation abroad – embarking on more than a dozen foreign trips, traveling to more than 19 countries, and meeting with more than 150 world leaders to strengthen critical global alliances.

The Vice President has been a trusted partner to President Joe Biden as they work together to deliver monumental achievements that are lifechanging for millions of Americans. Together, they have invested in the economy to create a record number of jobs and keep unemployment low. Their work has led to more small business creation in a two-year period than any previous administration. They capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors, cut prescription prices, and improved maternal health by expanding postpartum care through Medicaid. They passed the first meaningful gun safety law in three decades. Forming a bipartisan coalition, they enacted a $1 trillion investment in the country’s infrastructure to remove every lead pipe in America and make the most significant investment in public transit, repairing bridges, and high-speed Internet in history.

As President of the Senate, Vice President Harris set a new record for the most tie-breaking votes cast by a Vice President in history – surpassing a record that had stood for nearly 200 years. And her votes have been consequential. This includes casting the decisive vote to secure passage of the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment ever in tackling the climate crisis. She also presided over the unprecedented vote to confirm the first Black woman, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the Supreme Court while working alongside President Biden to achieve historic representation of women and people of color among nominees at all levels of the federal government.

In 2017, she was sworn into the United States Senate where she championed legislation to fight hunger, provide rent relief, improve maternal health care, expand access to capital for small businesses, revitalize America’s infrastructure, and combat the climate crisis. She questioned two Supreme Court nominees while serving on the Judiciary Committee. She also worked to keep the American people safe from

foreign threats and crafted bipartisan legislation to assist in securing American elections while serving on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

In 2010, Vice President Harris was elected Attorney General of California where she oversaw the largest state justice department in the country. She took on those who were preying on the American people, winning a $20 billion settlement for Californians whose homes had been foreclosed on and a $1.1 billion settlement for students and veterans who were taken advantage of by a for-profit education company. She also defended the Affordable Care Act in court and enforced environmental laws.

In 2004, Vice President Harris was elected District Attorney of San Francisco where she was a national leader in the movement for LGBTQ+ rights, officiating the first same-sex wedding after Proposition 8 was overturned. She also established the office’s environmental justice unit and created a ground-breaking program to provide first-time drug offenders with the opportunity to earn a high school degree and find employment, which the U.S. Department of Justice designated as a national model of innovation for law enforcement. And years earlier, in 1990, she joined the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office where she specialized in prosecuting child sexual assault cases.

Vice President Harris was born in Oakland, California. As the daughter of immigrants, she grew up surrounded by a diverse community and a loving extended family. She and her sister, Maya, were inspired by their mother, Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer scientist and pioneer in her own right who came to the United States from India at the age of 19 and then received her doctorate the same year that Kamala was born.

Both of the Vice President’s parents were active in the civil rights movement, and instilled in her a commitment to build strong coalitions that fight for the rights and freedoms of all people. They brought her to civil rights marches in a stroller and taught her about heroes like Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and civil rights leader Constance Baker Motley.

Vice President Harris went on to graduate from Howard University and the University of California Hastings College of Law. In 2014, she married Douglas Emhoff, a lawyer. They have a large blended family that includes their children, Ella and Cole.

FANTASIA BARRINO

Grammy award-winning R&B singer, songwriter, award-winning actor and author, Fantasia Barrino first broke onto the scene in 2004, entering every heart and home, as the Season 3 winner of “American Idol”. In addition to her two Grammy Award wins, Fantasia has been nominated numerous times by the Recording Academy, NAACP Image Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and Soul Train Awards, with two Billboard Music Award wins and four NAACP Image Award wins. Fantasia was recently recognized as one of Time100’s Most Influential People of 2024 and in 2023 was selected as one of the entertainment industry’s brightest stars by VARIETY for their “Power of Women” honor and featured as one of ELLE Magazine’s 2023 “Women in Hollywood.”

Reprising her Broadway role, in her major motion picture debut, Fantasia dazzled in the lead role of ‘Celie’ in Warner Bros’ modern adaptation of THE COLOR PURPLE, with the second-biggest Christmas Day opening in box office history. Produced by Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones, Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize winning timeless novel returned to the big screen for the first time in four decades, reimagined by director Blitz Bazawule, with a script by Marcus Gardley and music by Marsha Norman.

For her starring role in “The Color Purple,” Barrino was honored with the prestigious ‘Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture’ award at the 55th NAACP Image Awards ceremony and received nominations from BAFTA for ‘Best Leading Actress’ and The Golden Globes for ‘Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy’ as well as ‘Drama Movie Star of the Year’ from the People’s Choice Awards. The cast was recognized at the Critics’ Choice Awards Celebration of Cinema & TV with the Ensemble Award while garnering nominations from both SAG and the Critics’ Choice Association.

Fantasia followed her 2004 “American Idol” win with the release of her platinum selling debut album, Free Yourself and became the first artist in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart to debut at #1 with her first single I Believe. While Truth, the second single from the album, also claimed the #1 spot and remained for 14 weeks. Since the release of Free Yourself, Fantasia has gone on to release six additional studio albums, including her self-title sophomore effort Back to Me (2011), which featured the Grammy award-winning single Bittersweet. Fantasia’s fifth studio album The Definition of… (2016) debuted at #1 on Billboard’s R&B chart and #6 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, with her first holiday album Christmas After Midnight (2017) accompanied by a sold-out holiday tour. Fantasia has enjoyed chart topping triple platinum and mulit-platform success since her 2004 win.

Fantasia’s success also crosses over into her work as an author, releasing her New York Times best-selling memoir Life is Not a Fairytale in 2006, which was made into a Lifetime movie of the same name, where she was seen starring as herself. Alongside her husband Kendall Taylor, she recently co-authored No Crowns in the Castle. Released in Spring 2022 by Worthy Books, a division of Hachette Book Group, Fantasia & Kendall share what a Godly marriage looks like, discussing their challenges and triumphs, while encouraging readers with faith-forward relationship advice.

After facing a host of real-world trials—from marital stress to professional and financial pressures, to their high-risk pregnancy and the premature birth of their daughter—Fantasia and Kendall opened up about their lives in their weekly ‘Taylor Talks’ YouTube broadcast.

JOHN W. BOWMAN P/K/A DJ KOOL

Better known by his stage name DJ Kool, is an American DJ and rapper who produced several popular rap singles in the late 1980s. Raised in Washington, D.C., his influence from years of working the go-go and rap circuits became apparent in his music.

In 1996, he released the single “Let Me Clear My Throat” on American Recordings, which charted around the world including the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Top 10 in the UK and Netherlands in March 1997. The song prominently featured a sample of “The 900 Number” by The 45 King, (that song featured a sample from Marva Whitney’s “Unwind Yourself”, repeated over a breakbeat for six minutes). The song also began by sampling “Hollywood Swinging” by Kool and the Gang. The song is a recognizable dance floor-filler, and the track remains popular to this day.

LEADERSHIP

MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS OF THE 118TH CONGRESS In order of seniority

Delegate

ELEANOR HOLMES

NORTON (DC)

Representative MAXINE WATERS (CA)

Representative SANFORD D. BISHOP (GA)

ASSISTANT DEMOCRATIC LEADER

Representative JAMES E. CLYBURN (SC)

Representative BOBBY SCOTT (VA)

Representative BENNIE G. THOMPSON (MS)

Representative DANNY K. DAVIS (IL)

Representative GREGORY D. MEEKS (NY)

Representative BARBARA LEE (CA)

Representative DAVID SCOTT (GA)

Representative EMANUEL CLEAVER, II (MO)

Representative AL GREEN (TX)

Representative GWEN MOORE (WI)

1 ST VICE CHAIR

Representative YVETTE D. CLARKE (NY)

Representative HANK JOHNSON (GA)

Representative ANDRÉ CARSON (IN)

Representative TERRI A. SEWELL (AL)

Representative FREDERICA S. WILSON (FL)

MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS OF THE 118TH CONGRESS In order of seniority

Representative JOYCE BEATTY (OH)

DEMOCRATIC LEADER

Representative HAKEEM JEFFRIES (NY)

Representative MARC VEASEY (TX)

Representative ROBIN KELLY (IL)

Senator CORY BOOKER (NJ)

Representative ALMA ADAMS (NC)

Delegate

STACEY E. PLASKETT (VI)

Representative BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN (NJ)

Representative DWIGHT EVANS (PA)

Representative LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER (DE)

CHAIR

Representative STEVEN HORSFORD (NV)

Representative COLIN ALLRED (TX)

Representative JAHANA HAYES (CT)

SECRETARY

Representative LUCY MCBATH (GA)

Representative JOE NEGUSE (CO)

Representative ILHAN OMAR (MN)

Representative AYANNA PRESSLEY (MA)

Representative LAUREN UNDERWOOD (IL)

Representative KWEISI MFUME (MD)

MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS OF THE 118TH CONGRESS In order of seniority

Representative NIKEMA WILLIAMS (GA)

Representative CORI BUSH (MO)

Representative JAMAAL BOWMAN (NY)

Representative RITCHIE TORRES (NY)

WHIP

Representative MARILYN STRICKLAND (WA)

Senator RAPHAEL WARNOCK (GA)

2 ND VICE CHAIR

Representative TROY CARTER (LA)

Representative SHONTEL BROWN (OH)

Representative SHEILA CHERFILUS MCCORMICK (FL)

Representative JASMINE CROCKETT(TX)

Representative DON DAVIS (NC)

Representative VALERIE FOUSHEE (NC)

Representative MAXWELL FROST (FL)

Representative GLENN IVEY (MD)

Representative JONATHAN JACKSON (IL)

Representative SYDNEY KAMLAGER-DOVE (CA)

Representative SUMMER LEE (PA)

Representative EMILIA STRONG SYKES (OH)

Representative JENIFFER MCCLELLAN (VA)

Representative LAPHONZA BUTLER (CA)

Representative GABE AMO

CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS FOUNDATION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CHAIR

REP. TERRI A. SEWELL

U.S. House of Representatives

VICE CHAIR

CHAKA T. BURGESS

Nation Strategies

SECRETARY

ALETHIA JACKSON

Walgreens Boots Alliance

TREASURER

MARKUS GREEN

PAMELA G. ALEXANDER KKR

REP. JOYCE BEATTY

U.S. House of Representatives

TELLIS BETHEL

Toyota Motor North America

COURTNEY BILLINGTON

Johnson & Johnson

NATALIE BRUNSON-WHEELER

State Farm Insurance Companies

DALE BURNETT

BIG Equirt Investors LLC

REP. TROY CARTER

U.S. House of Representatives

LADAVIA DRANE Amazon

NONI ELLISON

Tractor Supply Company

PAMELA EVERHART

Fidelity Investments

ISAAC FORDJOUR Walgreens

QUITA HIGHSMITH, MBA Genentech

FELICIA HALE The Coca-Cola Company

FRED HUMPHRIES

Microsoft

REP. GLENN IVEY

U.S. House of Representatives

BRODERICK JOHNSON

Comcast Corporation

CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

REP. ROBIN KELLY

U.S. House of Representatives

MARCUS SEBASTIAN MASON

The Madison Group

REP. LUCY MCBATH

U.S. House of Representatives

REP. STACEY E. PLASKETT

U.S. House of Representatives

NICHOLE FRANCIS REYNOLDS, ESQ. ServiceNow

MARTIN RODGERS

Accenture

CBC CHAIRPERSON

REP. STEVEN HORSFORD

U.S. House of Representatives

CBC SPOUSES CHAIRPERSON

REV. WILLIAM COLEMAN

DIRECTOR EMERITUS FORMER CONGRESSMAN

KENDRICK MEEK

LISA OSBORNE ROSS

DONTAI SMALLS UPS

JESSE TYSON

The National Black MBA Association, Past President

REP. FREDERICA S. WILSON

U.S. House of Representatives

RONDU VINCENT Bristol Myers Squibb

DIRECTOR EMERITUS FORMER CONGRESSMAN CEDRIC RICHMOND

CAC CHAIRPERSON JOHN MASON Altria

CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS FOUNDATION

CORPORATE ADVISORY COUNCIL

CHAIRPERSON

JOHN MASON Altria

SANDERS L. ADU

Wells Fargo

LAKEITHA ANDERSON

Greenberg Traurig

KEVIN J. ARMSTRONG

Mitchell Hamline School of Law

KEENAN AUSTIN REED

Alpine Group

RONTEL BATIE

Batie Consulting

BENJAMIN BRANCH

TRISTAN R. BREAUX

Tyson Foods

ZOE CADORE

Calpine

KWAME CANTY

Edison Electric Institute

PATRICK EDMOND

CSX Corporation

CHACHAVIOUS ENGLISH

Ford Motor Company

FENIMORE FISHER

Aramark Corporation

HEATHER FOSTER

Lyft Inc.

KARIS T. GUTTER

Corteva Agriscience

PHIL A. HANCOCK

Norfolk Southern

ASHLEY HAYES

Charter Communications

EDWARD W. HILL

ViacomCBS (Paramount)

CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS FOUNDATION

CORPORATE ADVISORY COUNCIL

CORY C. HORTON

Taft Advisors

MERVYN L. JONES II

MLJ Strategies

FRANCESCA JORDAN

Dell Technologies

JACKIE KELLY, JR.

FedEx Corporation

ADRIENNE MARKS

Visa

WALDO MCMILLAN

Cisco

LAMELL MCMORRIS

Edward Jones

VIRGIL A. MILLER

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

ASHLI NELSON McDonald’s

CHRIS RANDLE Meta

IBN AKBAR SALAAM, MBA

Waste Management, Inc.

MARIE RAY SCOTT

M. R. Whitsett, Inc.

CHARLYN STANBERRY

National Association of Broadcasters

SHASHRINA THOMAS

Reynolds DANA THOMPSON Fulcrum Public Affairs

DARREL THOMPSON theGROUP

KATELYN J. NNAKE

BRANDON WEBB

Amazon

ALVEDA J. WILLIAMS, PH.D Dow, Inc.

TIFFANI V. WILLIAMS, JD, MPH

The Daschle Group