Eleanor Holmes Norton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eleanor Holmes Norton
Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from the District of Columbia's at-large district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1991
Preceded by	Walter Fauntroy
Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
In office May 27, 1977 – February 21, 1981
President	Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Lowell W. Perry
Succeeded by	Clarence Thomas
Personal details
Born	Eleanor Katherine Holmes (1937-06-13) June 13, 1937 (age 88) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Edward Norton ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1993)​
Children	2
Education	Antioch College (BA) Yale University (MA, LLB)
Website	House website

Eleanor Holmes Norton (born June 13, 1937) is an American politician, lawyer, and human rights activist. She has been a special representative for the District of Columbia in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1991. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Before working in Congress, Norton was active in the civil rights movement. She helped organize for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. From 1977 to 1981, she was the first woman to lead the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

She is also part of the Democratic Congressional Progressive Caucus. This group works for progressive policies in Congress.

Eleanor Holmes Norton: Early Life and Education

Eleanor Holmes in 1955

Eleanor K. Holmes was born in Washington, D.C.. Her mother, Vela, was a schoolteacher, and her father, Coleman, worked for the government. She went to Dunbar High School. There, she was elected junior class president and was a member of the National Honor Society.

She continued her education at Antioch College, earning a bachelor's degree in 1960. She then attended Yale University, getting a master's degree in American Studies in 1963. She earned her law degree from Yale Law School in 1964.

During her college years, she was very active in the civil rights movement. She helped organize and took part in sit-ins in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Ohio. While in law school, she traveled to Mississippi for the Mississippi Freedom Summer. There, she worked with important civil rights leaders like Medgar Evers. Her experiences inspired her to work for social justice and women's rights throughout her life. She also contributed to important books about women's liberation.

Eleanor Holmes Norton's Career Before Congress

Eleanor Holmes Norton as chair of the EEOC

After law school, Eleanor Holmes Norton worked as a law clerk for a federal judge. In 1965, she joined the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). She worked there as an assistant legal director until 1970.

In 1970, Norton represented 60 women employees at Newsweek magazine. These women said Newsweek only allowed men to be reporters. The women won their case, and Newsweek agreed to let women become reporters.

Norton also worked on cases about freedom of speech. She successfully argued a case before the Supreme Court. This case involved a group with unpopular ideas. Norton explained that defending the First Amendment means defending everyone's right to speak, even those you don't agree with. She said it's important to test the First Amendment with all kinds of ideas to make sure it stays strong.

From 1970 to 1971, she taught at New York University Law School. In 1970, she was appointed to lead the New York City Human Rights Commission. She held the first public hearings in the country about discrimination against women. These hearings helped people understand how the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applied to women.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed Norton to lead the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). She was the first woman to hold this important position. The EEOC works to prevent discrimination in the workplace.

Later, she became a professor at Georgetown University Law Center in 1982. During this time, she was also a strong activist against apartheid in South Africa. She was part of the Free South Africa Movement. In 1990, Norton helped form a group called African-American Women for Reproductive Freedom. She also received an award for her lifetime achievements in 2011.

Eleanor Holmes Norton: Delegate to Congress

Norton speaking at a 1998 rally

Jack Kemp, Adrian Fenty, and Norton at a D.C. Vote rally

In 1990, Eleanor Holmes Norton was elected as a Democratic delegate to the House of Representatives. She won the election and took office on January 3, 1991. She has been reelected every two years since then.

Delegates to Congress, like Norton, can sit in the House of Representatives. They can vote in committees and suggest changes to bills. However, they are not allowed to vote on the final laws passed by the full House. The District of Columbia and four U.S. territories send delegates to Congress.

Norton has introduced a bill called the Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion Act since 1994. This bill would require the United States to get rid of its nuclear weapons if all other countries with nuclear weapons do the same.

She strongly supports giving the District of Columbia a voting representative in the House. A bill to do this passed the United States Senate in 2009. However, it did not pass the House. If it had passed, Norton would have remained a delegate, not a voting representative.

In 2010, there was some discussion when a voice message of Norton asking for campaign funds from a lobbyist was released. Norton stated that this was a common practice for members of Congress. She also said the call was made from her campaign office, not with taxpayer money.

She is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus.

What Committees Does Eleanor Holmes Norton Serve On?

Eleanor Holmes Norton serves on several important committees in the House of Representatives:

• Committee on Oversight and Accountability
  • Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Aviation
  • Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit (She is the Ranking Member, meaning the top member of her party on this subcommittee)
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

What Groups Does Eleanor Holmes Norton Belong To?

Norton is part of many groups in Congress that focus on specific issues. These are called caucuses:

• Congressional Progressive Caucus
• Congressional Black Caucus
• Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment
• House Baltic Caucus
• Congressional Arts Caucus
• Congressional Freethought Caucus
• Climate Solutions Caucus
• Congressional Solar Caucus
• U.S.-Japan Caucus
• Medicare for All Caucus
• Blue Collar Caucus
• LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus
• Congressional Coalition on Adoption
• Rare Disease Caucus

Legislation Eleanor Holmes Norton Has Sponsored

Norton has introduced several bills in Congress:

• In 2013, she sponsored a bill to name the new Coast Guard headquarters after Douglas A. Munro. He was the only United States Coast Guard member to receive the Medal of Honor.
• In 2013, she sponsored a bill to increase the pay cap for the Chief Financial Officer of the District of Columbia.
• In 2014, she sponsored a bill to make changes to the D.C. Courts system. She said this bill would make the local justice process more efficient.

Legislation Eleanor Holmes Norton Has Supported

Norton has also supported other important bills:

• She supported the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (S. 994; 113th Congress). This bill would make information about how the government spends money easier to find and understand. Norton said it would improve the quality of data on government spending.
• She supported a bill to change the height limit for penthouses in D.C. This bill would allow penthouses to be taller, making them suitable for people to live in.

Eleanor Holmes Norton: Public Appearances

Norton with members of the Council of the District of Columbia in 2007.

Eleanor Holmes Norton has appeared on TV shows like The Colbert Report. She has discussed D.C.'s right to be part of the United States. She also talked about D.C. representation and her support for Barack Obama for president. She even promised Stephen Colbert a key to the city if D.C. citizens got full representation.

In 2008, she appeared on Democracy Now! to discuss a Supreme Court ruling about gun rights in D.C. She strongly disagreed with the ruling.

Eleanor Holmes Norton and NFL Tax Status

In 2014, Norton discussed her support for a bill to change the National Football League's (NFL) tax-exempt status. She said the NFL should not be tax-exempt if it profits from a team name that is considered a racial slur. She wanted the NFL to make the Washington Redskins change their team name.

Eleanor Holmes Norton: Personal Life

Norton was married to Edward Norton. They separated in 1990, and he passed away in 2014.

She has two children, John and Katherine. Her daughter Katherine has Down syndrome. Eleanor Holmes Norton is a member of the Episcopal Church.

Awards Eleanor Holmes Norton Has Received

• Foremother Award from National Center for Health Research, 2011
• Coretta Scott King Legacy Award from the Coretta Scott King Center for Cultural and Intellectual Freedom, 2017
• Honoree, National Women's History Alliance, 2020

See also

In Spanish: Eleanor Holmes Norton para niños

• List of African-American United States representatives
• Women in the United States House of Representatives