Kweisi Mfume facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kweisi Mfume
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Official portrait, 2022
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 7th district |
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| Assumed office May 5, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Elijah Cummings |
| In office January 3, 1987 – February 15, 1996 |
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| Preceded by | Parren Mitchell |
| Succeeded by | Elijah Cummings |
| President and CEO of the NAACP | |
| In office February 20, 1996 – November 30, 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Rupert Richardson (President) Earl Shinhoster (Executive Director) |
| Succeeded by | Dennis Courtland Hayes (acting) |
| Member of the Baltimore City Council from the 4th district |
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| In office 1978–1986 |
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| Preceded by | Multi-member district |
| Succeeded by | Multi-member district |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Frizzell Gerard Tate
October 24, 1948 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
Linda Shields
(m. 1972; div. 1975)Tiffany McMillan
(m. 2012) |
| Children | 6 |
| Education | Morgan State University (BS) Johns Hopkins University (MA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
Kweisi Mfume (born Frizzell Gerard Tate; October 24, 1948) is an American politician. He serves as a U.S. Representative for Maryland's 7th congressional district. He held this position from 1987 to 1996 and again since 2020.
Mfume is a member of the Democratic Party. He left Congress in 1996 to become the president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He led the NAACP until 2004. In 2006, he ran for the United States Senate but did not win the primary election. Mfume returned to his former House seat in 2020 after the death of Elijah Cummings.
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Early Life and Education
Kweisi Mfume was born Frizzell Gerard Tate in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 24, 1948. He was the oldest of four children. His last name changed to Gray after his stepfather.
When his mother passed away, he left high school at age 16. He worked multiple jobs to support his three younger sisters. He also spent time in challenging neighborhoods. In the early 1970s, he changed his name to Kweisi Mfume.
Mfume earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from Morgan State University in 1976. He later received a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1984.
Early Career in Politics
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In 1978, Mfume was elected to the Baltimore City Council. He worked to bring more attention and help to the city's poorer neighborhoods. In 1986, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives (1987–1996)
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In November 1986, Mfume began representing Maryland's 7th district in the U.S. House. He took over from Parren Mitchell. He was re-elected four times during this period.
Mfume was known for balancing progressive ideas with practical solutions. His district included both city and suburban areas. His main goal was to increase federal help for inner cities. From 1993 to 1995, Mfume led the Congressional Black Caucus.
After Congress: Leading the NAACP
In February 1996, Mfume left his seat in the House of Representatives. He became the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He believed he could do more for civil rights in this new role.
As NAACP president, he worked to improve the organization's finances. He also continued to fight for civil rights for African Americans. Many people in Baltimore wanted him to run for mayor in 1999, but he chose to stay with the NAACP.
Mfume stepped down from the NAACP in 2004. He later apologized for a personal relationship he had while leading the organization.
U.S. Senate Campaign (2006)
On March 14, 2005, Mfume announced he would run for a United States Senate seat. The seat was being left open by Paul Sarbanes. Mfume lost the Democratic primary election on September 12, 2006, to Ben Cardin.
After this, some thought Mfume might run for mayor of Baltimore. However, he stated he had no plans to do so. He wished the incoming mayor, Sheila Dixon, success.
Other Activities (2007–2020)
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In March 2010, Mfume became the chief executive officer of the National Medical Association (NMA). He left the NMA in June 2011.
In May 2013, Mfume was chosen to lead the board of regents at his old university, Morgan State University. He started this role on July 1, 2013. From 2013 to 2018, Mfume also worked on health policy research.
Return to the U.S. House of Representatives (2020–Present)
Elections
2020 Special Election
On November 4, 2019, Mfume announced he would run for his old congressional seat. This seat became open after the death of Elijah Cummings. On February 4, 2020, Mfume won the Democratic nomination. This made his return to Congress very likely, as the 7th district is strongly Democratic. He won the general election on April 28, 2020, and was sworn in on May 5. This marked his return to Congress after 24 years.
2020 General Election
Mfume ran for a full term in November 2020 and won. He defeated Kimberly Klacik again.
2022 General Election
Mfume won re-election in the 2022 general election.
2024 General Election
Mfume won the general election in 2024 with 80.25% of the votes. He defeated Republican Scott Collier and Libertarian Ronald Owens-Bey.
Committee Assignments
In the 117th Congress, Mfume serves on several important committees:
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
- Subcommittee on National Security
- Committee on Small Business (Vice Chair)
- Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce (Chair)
- Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Regulations
- Committee on Education and Labor
- Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services
Caucus Memberships
Mfume is also part of several groups in Congress, called caucuses:
- Black Maternal Health Caucus
- Congressional Black Caucus
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus
- Congressional Caribbean Caucus
- Congressional Ukraine Caucus
Political Views
According to an analysis by FiveThirtyEight, Kweisi Mfume voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress. This shows he often supports the President's policies.
Personal Life
Mfume is a member of the Prince Hall Freemasons. He is also part of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
His first marriage to Linda Shields lasted from 1972 to 1975. In 2012, he married Tiffany McMillan. She is the granddaughter of Enolia McMillan, who was the first female president of the NAACP. Kweisi Mfume has six children.
See Also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- List of African-American United States Senate candidates
