From Pioneer Lawmaker to Granny

Her dad was particularly worried that his grandchildren didn't have space to have a dog. Bottom line, her parents thought the city was not safe, and it was no place to raise children.

That's when the Lawlahs -- like many black professionals after the 1968 race riots in Washington -- began looking for a house in the suburbs. They settled in Hillcrest Heights in 1972, where they raised their three children and still live.

Lawlah became interested in politics when she realized that she and her husband bought a house in a congressional district that was represented by a Republican.

She began working with elected officials and the local NAACP to further integrate the county schools. Then she got involved with the Prince George's County Women's Democratic Club. It was her entree into the world of politics, allowing her to meet U.S. Rep. Gladys Spellman, Maryland Gov. Marvin Mandel and then-state Sen. Steny H. Hoyer.

"I loved it," she said. "I got a taste of it, and I loved it." In 1982, Lawlah was elected to the county Democratic State Central Committee. Four years later, Lawlah made a successful run for state delegate. And in 1990, Lawlah became the first woman elected to represent Prince George's County in the Senate.

Longtime state Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. said Lawlah was an effective senator and leaves an indelible impression on the legislature.

"I'm going to miss her very much," Miller said. "Sometimes she was for me, and sometimes she was against me. What I loved about her was her independence. When she was for you, you could not have a stronger ally."

That's why, Miller said, Lawlah was one of those lawmakers you "tried to always get on your side."

During her time in the Senate, Lawlah, to the dismay of her Democratic colleagues, built a good relationship with Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich (R). The two had made contact many years before, on Capitol Hill. He was in Congress. She was working as a federal liaison officer for Bowie State University, a position she still holds.

"I went over to him and said, 'I need to talk to you about Bowie State,' " Lawlah said. The two have been on friendly terms ever since, she said.

She said her relationship with Ehrlich was good for her district. Some Democrats saw it as a slight against the party.

"I'm a yellow dog Democrat, believe me," Lawlah says to any criticism.

Lawlah is proud of her Democratic roots, representing Prince George's County and her place in history in the state government, including serving on the Budget and Taxation committee.

And though she may have moved out of her Senate office in Annapolis, Lawlah said she is hoping to end up back at the Statehouse in some fashion as part of Gov.-elect Martin O'Malley's administration.

Three years ago, Lawlah published a book about notable women who have served in the state legislature. Del. Pauline H. Menes (D-Prince George's), who is retiring this year after a 40-year career, leads the book. Sen. Verda Freeman Welcome, who was the first African American female member of the Maryland House of Delegates, in 1959, and the first African American female state senator in the nation, in 1963, plays a major role in the book.

Sometimes, Lawlah says, she wishes that her grandparents could be here with her to share in the advances that African Americans have made.

"If my grandparents could see how much impact, what has happened in 50 years, they would be astounded," Lawlah said.