Gerald Neal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gerald A. Neal
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Neal in 2011
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| Minority Leader of the Kentucky Senate | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Morgan McGarvey |
| Member of the Kentucky Senate from the 33rd district |
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| Assumed office January 1, 1989 |
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| Preceded by | Georgia Davis Powers |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gerald Anthony Neal
September 22, 1945 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Kathy Cooksie |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Simmons College of Kentucky Kentucky State University (BA) University of Louisville (JD) University of Michigan |
Gerald Anthony Neal, born on September 22, 1945, is an American politician. He has been a member of the Kentucky Senate since 1989. This means he has served for a very long time, becoming the longest-serving member of the Senate since 2012.
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About Gerald Neal's Early Life
Gerald Neal was born in 1945. He finished Shawnee High School in Louisville in 1963. He then went to Kentucky State University, earning a degree in History and Political Science in 1967. Later, he received an honorary doctorate.
Mr. Neal continued his education at the Brandeis School of Law, University of Louisville. He earned his law degree in 1972. He also studied Political Science at the University of Michigan. After his studies, he returned to Kentucky to start his career in law.
Gerald Neal's Career in Public Service
Gerald Neal began his career helping people at the Legal Aid Society. He also worked with the Neighborhood Youth Corps before 1974. He focused on making society fairer and helping communities grow stronger. His efforts were noticed, and he was asked to join a group studying how to improve the justice system for young people in 1974.
In 1975, Mr. Neal served on the Jefferson County Welfare Advisory Board. He also helped with a political campaign for Aubrey Williams. His dedication to public health led him to become assistant director of the Louisville Department of Public Health and Safety in 1975.
In 1977, Neal was elected to a school board committee. He also became President of the Kentucky National Bar Association that same year.
In 1979, Louisville Mayor William B. Stansbury appointed Neal to the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) board. He later became the chairman of the MSD board in 1983. He also got involved in national politics, joining a committee for presidential candidate Walter Mondale in 1984.
Serving in the Kentucky Senate
In April 1988, Gerald Neal was elected to the Kentucky Senate for the 33rd district. He has held this position ever since. During his time in the Senate, he has worked on important projects. This includes being part of a group that looked at combining Jefferson County and Louisville.
Neal also became a Senior Fellow of Public Policy and a professor at the University of Louisville. There, he teaches classes on history, government, health policy, and civil rights law. He is also a practicing lawyer at his own law firm in Louisville.
Community Initiatives
Mr. Neal started the Kentucky African American All Children's Caucus. This group works to improve education for all children, especially focusing on diversity. He also founded The African American Community Agenda Initiative (AAI). AAI focuses on researching policies and educating the community. It brings together leaders to discuss and improve policies.
Neal was the second African American person to serve in District 33 of Jefferson County. He was also the first African American man elected to the Kentucky State Senate. He was first elected in 1989 and has been re-elected many times. This makes him the longest-serving African American member of the Kentucky General Assembly. In 2014, he was elected Senate Democratic Caucus Chairman. This made him the first African American to hold a leadership position in the history of Kentucky.
Neal was honored by being inducted into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame in 2001. He was also added to the Gallery of Great Black Kentuckians in 2012. He has held several leadership roles in the National Bar Association and the Kentucky Chapter of the National Bar Association. He is also a member of the Kentucky Bar Association.
He has worked as an assistant director for the City of Louisville's Public Health and Safety department. He was also a hearing officer for the State Workers' Compensation Board. He worked as a juvenile probation officer. He served five terms as chairman of the Louisville-Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District. During his time there, he made the agency more open to the public.
Mr. Neal attended a special event dedicating a historical marker. This marker was placed near the old site of the Eckstein Norton Institute.
Important Laws Sponsored by Gerald Neal
In the Kentucky Senate, Gerald Neal has supported laws that help schools offer equal opportunities for all students. He founded the Kentucky Education Reform African American and All Children's Caucus. He also sponsored the law that created the KCHIP Program. This program helps provide health care for more children in Kentucky who do not have insurance. He also helped expand Medicaid coverage for children.
He sponsored laws that required finding out the special needs of older people from minority groups. He also helped create the African American Heritage Commission. He sponsored laws to change the Kentucky Constitution. These changes would remove segregation by race. They would also stop police from targeting people based on their race. Additionally, they would prevent the execution of a person if there is evidence of racial bias in their case.
In May 2010, the Senate approved a resolution by Senator Neal. This resolution confirmed the ideas of equality found in the U. S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Kentucky Civil Rights Act of 1966. The resolution states that the Senate "recognizes the need for equality of all persons in the United States, and in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and the protection of that equality."
Awards and Recognitions
Senator Neal has received many awards for his great service to his community, the legal profession, and as a Kentucky State Legislator. Some of his awards include:
- The Clarence Mitchell Award from the Kentucky State Conference of NAACP Branches for supporting Civil Rights laws.
- The Anderson Laureate Award for his impact on his community, state, and nation.
- The 1998 Man of the Year from Sigma Pi Phi fraternity-Psi Boule chapter.
- The 2001 Distinguished Citizen Award from the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
- The Georgia Davis Powers Humanitarian Award.
- The Public Advocate Award for helping pass a law to stop racial profiling.
- The Kentucky Public Advocates Award for helping pass the Racial Justice Act.
- The Nelson Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy.
He also served as a United Nations observer and monitor for the important all-race elections in South Africa in April 1994. He was inducted into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame in 2001.
Gerald Neal's Personal Life
Gerald Neal and his wife, Kathy, have two children named Brandon and Kristin.
In September 2020, Neal was hospitalized in Louisville after getting COVID-19.
