Curt Anderson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Curt Anderson
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 43rd district
In office January 8, 2003 – January 11, 2023
Preceded by	Ken Montague, Michael Dobson
Succeeded by	Redistricting
Constituency	Baltimore, Maryland
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 44th district
In office January 12, 1983 – January 10, 1995
Preceded by	Torey Brown, Frank Robey
Succeeded by	Ann Marie Doory
Personal details
Born	Curtis Stovall Anderson (1949-10-12) October 12, 1949 (age 75) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Divorced
Relations	Shani Davis (cousin)
Children	Ambre Anderson, Curtis Ian, Damien, Christian
Residences	Baltimore, Maryland
Occupation	Attorney

Curtis Stovall Anderson (born October 12, 1949) is an American politician, lawyer and former broadcast journalist. He was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1983, was the chairman of the Baltimore City Delegation, and past chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. After serving 12 years, he was elected again in 2002, and served until his retirement in 2023. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1992 (Clinton) and 2008 (Obama).

Background

Anderson was born on October 12, 1949, to Leonard and Jean Anderson in Chicago, Illinois. His father, a graduate of Morgan State University, moved the family to Baltimore, in 1952, to take a job as the Dean of men at Morgan State University and assistant rector at the St. James' Episcopal Church. Anderson's parents divorced in 1957 and he and his two sisters were raised by his mother.

Education

Anderson attended primary schools in Baltimore and Glencoe, Illinois. In 1964, he entered the Baltimore City College. He was the captain of the football and track teams and won a scholarship to Rutgers University. Anderson majored in political science and made the freshman and varsity football and freshman track teams. But in the fall of 1969, Anderson left Rutgers at the end of the semester. In 1973, he entered Morgan State College where he earned his bachelor's degree in political science. He also played on the legendary "Ten Bears" lacrosse team, the only black college lacrosse team in America. In 1982, after, his television career, he entered the University of Baltimore Law School where he earned his Juris Doctor.

Professional career

Broadcast journalist

Anderson interviews Ali, 1978

Prior to running for the House of Delegates, Anderson anchored the news at channel 2, WMAR-TV, and channel 11, WBAL-TV, in Baltimore, Maryland. Anderson was first hired by WBAL in 1976 as a reporter where he regularly covered the state legislature, Baltimore City Hall, produced features and even boxed a round with Muhammad Ali as a feature story in 1978.

In 1980, Anderson was hired by WMAR-TV to be the station's weekend anchor and reporter. He covered events such as the Wayne Williams trial in Atlanta and the Cuban refugee influx in Pennsylvania. In April 1982, Anderson was let go by WMAR-TV following a 90-day labor strike.

Though he interviewed for jobs at WSB-TV in Atlanta and WBZ-TV in Boston, Anderson chose not to move his family and remained in Baltimore. He ran for the Maryland House of Delegates while entering law school.

Law

Anderson graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1987 and passed the Maryland Bar Exam in 1988. He joined the law firm of Murphy and Associates as a criminal defense attorney that same year. He opened his own practice in 1996 and has represented thousands of individuals in the Circuit and District courts in Baltimore City and 16 of Maryland's 23 counties as well as arguing a case before the Supreme Court of Maryland

Legislative career

Anderson (center) with Jesse Jackson (right) and Sen. Decatur Trotter (left) during a Maryland Legislative Black Caucus meeting in Annapolis, Maryland (1988)

In 1982, Anderson won a seat in the House of Delegates, finishing first in a crowded field of candidates which included four incumbents. He was sworn in January 1983 and assigned to the House Ways and Means committee.

After serving five years in the Maryland General Assembly, Anderson was elected chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. As chairman he sponsored and saw the passage of Maryland's Minority Business Enterprise Act. One of the benefits of this act for minority business was increased participation in major state projects like the building of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Nearly 20% of the contracts let for the construction of the new ballpark went to minority-owned businesses.

In 1993, Anderson was appointed to the Baltimore Orioles All-Star Game host committee; the entity that planned the activities around MLB's 1993 All-Star game to be played in Baltimore. Anderson, the only African-American on the 12 member committed persuaded the group to invite James Earl Jones to speak the pre-game National Anthem, backed up by the HBCU Morgan State University Choir. The committee had planned to invite Garth Brooks to sing the Anthem. Anderson also worked with BET to sponsor a step show competition for local black fraternities at the stadium during the week of the All Star game festivities. After 12 years in the House, Anderson ran for the Senate in 1994 but was defeated in the Democratic primary. He practiced law for the next 8 years. In 2002, he made a run for the House of Delegates. As before he was a non-incumbent running against four incumbents for three seats. Unlike his first race in 1982 where he beat all the incumbents and finished first, this time Anderson finished third with a razor-thin 100-vote margin of victory over 4th-place finisher incumbent Ken Montague. In the 2006 general election campaign, Anderson joined with 43rd district incumbents, including Senator Joan Carter Conway, Delegate Maggie McIntosh and Delegate Ann Marie Doory to defeat a field of 6 other challengers.

In 2018, the Baltimore Sun reported that Delegate Anderson was under investigation from the Ethics Committee of the General Assembly for ... and ....  Delegate Anderson was still re-elected but by a very small margin in the Democratic Primary. After the election, under pressure from constituents, the Ethics Committee issued its findings and insisted that Delegate Anderson undergo intensive one-on-one ... training.  Speaker Busch of the House stripped Delegate Anderson of his leadership roles. Anderson won re-election in both the primary and general elections.

In May 2020, new Maryland House of Delegates speaker Adrienne A. Jones appointed Anderson to a special work group on police accountability which made major changes to Maryland's Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights.

Slots

Since 2003, Anderson has been known for his opposition to the introduction of slot machines in Annapolis. Delegate Anderson organized protests against slots, wrote newspaper editorials and took to the airwaves at several local radio and television stations to solidify opposition to bringing organized gambling into Maryland. In spite of strong support for slots by then Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich, Anderson and his colleagues prevailed and a pro-slots bill never made it out of the House of Delegates though similar bills had passed the State Senate. In 2005, however, both chambers passed different pro-slots bills. In the House of Delegates the measure passed by a 71–66 vote. In 2007 new Governor, Martin O'Malley, hinted at some marginal support for slots as a possible new revenue source. Although Anderson and O'Malley share party affiliations, Anderson remained a staunch opponent of bringing slots into Maryland.

Task force, boards and commissions

• 2020, Appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates to its Work Group to Address Police Reform and Accountability in Maryland
• 2016–2019, Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission
• 2015, Appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates to chair a task force on public safety and Police practices.
• 2014–2015, Appointed by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake to study the issue of body cameras on Baltimore police officers.
• 2012–2014, Anderson was appointed by the Maryland House Speaker to a task force to study the impact of a Maryland Court of Appeals ruling regarding "Representation of indigent criminal defendants by the office of the public defender."
• 2012–2014, Anderson was appointed by Maryland legislative leaders to chair a task force to study the impact of a Maryland Court of Appeals ruling regarding the liability of owners of pit bulls and landlords that rent to them.
• 2009–2016, Baltimore Convention and Tourism Board
• 2003–2019, Anderson was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to serve on the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy.
• 2000–2010, Board of Directors, Northwood Baseball League (Baltimore), (Chairman-1999-2001)
• 1989–1995, Governor's Commission on Maryland Military Monuments
• 1978–1982, Board of Trustees, Provident Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland

Past general election results

Awards

• 2008, Legislator of the Year - Office of the Maryland Public Defender
• 2009, Humanitarian of the Year - Mayland Restorative Justice Initiative
• 2010, Most Influential Maryland Legislators (Top 20)
• 2010, Legislator of the Year - Maryland Fraternal Order of Police, Maryland Chapter Concerns of Police Survivors
• 2011, Alumnus of the Year (shared) - Baltimore City College
• 2013, Inducted into the Baltimore City College Hall of Fame