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Meet the Congressional Black Caucus Founded in March 1971 by Shirley A. Chisholm, the Congressional Black Caucus continues to help “all Americans ... achieve the American dream.” Here are some of the members of the 112th Congress’s current caucus.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.)
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver speaks at a news conference on the impact of a health care repeal on minority communities on Capitol Hill on Jan. 19. Cleaver is the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus of the 112th Congress. He became Kansas City's first African American mayor in 1991 and is serving his fourth term as a congressman for Missouri.
Brendan Hoffman
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Getty Images
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Del. Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands)
Del. Donna Christensen at a news conference Dec. 10 in Washington, where the CBC proposed an alternative to the tax compromise the Obama administration struck with Republicans and said it will cost less than half the proposed trillion-dollar plan while creating almost the same number of jobs. Christensen, who is Congress's first female physician, is serving her eighth congressional term. She is the vice chairman of the caucus.
Chip Somodevilla
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Getty Images
Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.)
Rep. Alcee Hastings, a.k.a. "Judge," became Florida's first African American judge in 1979. In 1992, he was first elected to Congress in 1992. Hastings, who is also known for his civil rights work, is currently a senior member on the House Committee on Rules.
Manuel Balce Ceneta
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AP
Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)
Rep. John Lewis has served as one of Georgia's representatives since 1986. Lewis, who is a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, is known for his work in civil rights. As his Web site says, he is often called "one of the most courageous persons the Civil Rights Movement ever produced." Lewis continues to fight for social and for human rights today.
Nikki Kahn
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The Washington Post
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.)
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton has been serving the nation's capital for 11 terms. Besides being the first female ever to head the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Norton is also known for her work as a feminist leader and civil rights activist.
Rebecca D'Angelo
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For The Washington Post
Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.)
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. talks to reporters after attending a Democratic caucus meeting on Capitol Hill on Aug. 1. Jackson is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, and he helped create the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
Susan Walsh
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AP
Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.)
House Assistant Minority Leader James Clyburn gestures as he departs the Blair House in Washington on May 10, after a meeting on the legislative framework for deficit reduction. Clyburn is "one of the handful of people who, when they speak, the entire Congress listens," President Obama has said. Clyburn was elected to Congress in 1993, served as CBC chairman in 1999 and in 2005 became the chairman of the Democratic Caucus.
Evan Vucci
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AP
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.)
Rep. Barbara Lee fights for an amendment to reverse the ban on local government funded abortions in D.C. during the the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations markup of the 2012 D.C. budget in this photo. Lee came to Congress in 1998 and has advocated economic and social issues. She immediately preceded Rep. Cleaver as chairman of the caucus.
Sarah L. Voisin
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The Washington Post
Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.)
Rep. G.K. Butterfield was elected to Congress in 2004. He was the Chief Deputy Whip of the House in the 110th Congress and is currently the ranking Democrat of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade. In May, Butterfield and other members of the caucus met with Obama to discuss jobs, according to reports. Butterfield is the second vice chairman of the caucus.
Scott Olson
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Getty Images
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas)
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is in her ninth congressional term and sits on the House Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee on Homeland Security. Lee is known for her work on immigration and for launching a program dedicated to helping minority women become more interested in space, to name a few.
Luis Alvarez
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AP
Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.)
Rep. Donna Edwards participates in a news conference on health care with members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Capitol Hill on March 19, 2010. That day the caucus's leaders announced that they will support President Obama’s health care legislation. Edwards became a House member in 2008. She currently serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Science and Technology Committee.
Mark Wilson
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Getty Images
Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.)
Rep, Andre Carson is the whip of the Congressional Black Caucus. Carson joined the House in 2008 and currently serves on the Financial Service Committee. He is also regional whip for the Democratic Caucus.
Ricky Carioti
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The Washington Post
Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.)
Rep. John Conyers, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, listens during a news conference in Washington on April 4, to discuss efforts to thwart the harm done to the economy by online vendors dealing in counterfeit goods or copyright infringement. Conyers is one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus. He has been in the House since 1965, making him the second most senior member in the chamber.
J. Scott Applewhite
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AP
Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.)
Rep. Karen Bass came to Congress in 2010. She currently serves on the Steering and Policy Committee. Prior to her congressional tenure, Bass was a physician assistant and a clinical instructor at the USC Keck School of Medicine. She also served as the California Assembly's speaker, making her the first African American woman to hold such a position in the U.S.
Steven Senne
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AP
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.)
Rep. Elijah Cummings has served Maryland in Congress since 1996. He is the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Cummings is also a foreclosure prevention advocate. He served as CBC chairman from 2003 to 2005.
J. Scott Applewhite
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AP
Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.)
Rep. Yvette Clarke serves as secretary of the Congressional Black Caucus. She came to Congress in 2006. She serves on the House Committee on Homeland Security and the House Committee on Small Business.
Astrid Stawiarz
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Getty Images
Rep. Gregory Meeks
Congressman Gregory Meeks has served in the House for 13 years. He is currently on the House Financial Services Commitee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Rob Loud
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Getty Images
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.)
Congressman Charles Rangel is another founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. He served as the caucus chair from 1974 to 1976. Rangel is a war veteran who in 2007 became the first African American to head the House Ways and Means Committee.
Melina Mara
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The Washington Post
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