Rep. Clyburn (D-SC) is the third-ranking member of the U.S. House Democratic Leadership, serving as assistant minority leader since 2011. He came to Congress in 1993, becoming South Carolina’s first African American to serve in Congress since 1897.
Clyburn began his professional career as a public school teacher, and before being elected to Congress he directed two community development programs, served on the staff of a South Carolina governor, and ran a state agency under four South Carolina governors – two Democrats and two Republicans. During his tenure in the House, he has become a leading national voice for the needs of America's diverse communities through his work on civil rights and the Voter Empowerment Act, driving new efforts to increase voter participation 50 years after the enactment of the Voting Rights Act.
Clyburn’s commitment to social justice and the bridging of racial and ethnic divides is longstanding, having worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as the leader of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and helped organize many civil rights marches and demonstrations as a student leader at South Carolina State College, including a 1961 march on the South Carolina State House, for which he was jailed. Clyburn has also championed rural and economic development across party lines. His 10-20-30 federal funding formula was incorporated into the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The formula directed 10 percent of appropriated funds to communities where 20 percent or more of the population have lived at or below the poverty level for the past 30 years.
President Barack Obama has said of Rep. Clyburn that he is "one of a handful of people, who when they speak, the entire Congress listens." His legacy as a supporter and protector of human rights and the Great Society led the LBJ Foundation to name him the recipient of the 2015 LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award.
Following the discussion with Dean Evans and Rep. Clyburn, students and faculty will have the opportunity to ask questions.