Dead and gone but the legacies of these black congressmen are indelible

John Conyers 

John Conyers Jr. died at the age of 90 on October 27. He died being the longest-serving African-American in Congress.

Conyers’ political career began in 1958 as an aide to Congressman John Dingell, serving him until 1961. 

In 1965, Conyers would make history by being elected to the House of Representatives on the platform of jobs, justice, and peace, representing parts of Detroit.

Conyers was famous for his liberal stance on civil rights and liberties. His list of legislative successes “is long and impressive”. Some of the bills Conyers authored and sponsored include—the Martin Luther King Holiday Act, the Alcohol Warning Label Act, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Hate Crime Statistics Act.

The first African American Democratic leader on the House Judiciary Committee, Conyers attached crucial civil rights measures to the 1994 Omnibus Crime Bill, including the Racial Justice Act and the Police Accountability Act. 

He also generated the Justice Department’s national study on police brutality, and he conducted hearings in several cities on police violence, racially motivated violence, sentencing, white-collar crime, and other criminal justice matters.

One of Conyers’ crowning achievements was 36 years ago when President Ronald Reagan signed legislation creating a national holiday honoring Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday—an example of political persistence. 

The legislation was first introduced four days after King was assassinated in April 1968, but it took 15 years of memorable fight and behind-the-scenes maneuvering to get the measure through both chambers of Congress.