Kweisi Mfume facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kweisi Mfume
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Official portrait, 2020
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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 |  |
Kweisi Mfume (born Frizzell Gerard Tate; October 24, 1948) is an American politician. He is a U.S. Representative for Maryland's 7th congressional district. He served in this role from 1987 to 1996, and again since 2020.
A member of the Democratic Party, Mfume left Congress in 1996. He became the president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He held this important position until 2004. In 2006, he ran for a U.S. Senate seat but did not win. Mfume returned to his old House seat in 2020 after the death of Elijah Cummings.
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Early Life and Education
Kweisi Mfume was born Frizzell Gerald Gray in Baltimore, Maryland. He was born on October 24, 1948, and was the oldest of four children. His father left the family when Mfume was young.
When his mother passed away, Mfume was only sixteen. He left high school to work multiple jobs. He did this to support his three younger sisters. During these challenging years, he faced difficulties and misunderstandings. He later adopted a child, adding to his family.
Mfume eventually returned to school. He earned his bachelor's degree from Morgan State University. He also earned a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University.
Early Political Career
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In 1978, Mfume began his political career. He was elected to the Baltimore City Council. During his time on the council, he focused on helping the city's less fortunate neighborhoods.
His work on the city council led him to a bigger role. In 1986, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Serving in the U.S. House (1987–1996)
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In November 1986, Mfume became a U.S. Representative for Maryland's 7th district. He took over from Parren Mitchell, another Democrat. Mfume was re-elected four times during this period.
As a representative, Mfume was known for balancing different ideas. He supported progressive goals, which means he wanted to make society fairer. But he also worked well with others to find common ground. His main goal was to get more federal help for cities across America. From 1993 to 1995, Mfume led the Congressional Black Caucus. This group works to support the interests of African Americans in Congress.
After Congress: NAACP Leadership
In February 1996, Mfume decided to leave Congress. He chose to become the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The NAACP is a very old and important organization. It works to ensure equal rights for African Americans. Mfume believed he could do more for civil rights in this new role.
As NAACP president, Mfume worked to improve the organization's finances. He helped pay off its debts. He also continued to champion civil rights for African Americans. Many people in Baltimore hoped he would run for mayor in 1999. However, he chose to stay with the NAACP. He served as president until November 2004.
U.S. Senate Campaign (2006)
On March 14, 2005, Mfume announced he would run for the United States Senate. The seat was opening up because Senator Paul Sarbanes was retiring. Mfume competed in the Democratic primary election on September 12, 2006. He lost to U.S. Representative Ben Cardin, who later won the Senate seat.
After his Senate campaign, there was talk that Mfume might run for mayor of Baltimore. However, he stated that he had no plans to do so. He expressed support for the incoming mayor, Sheila Dixon.
Life Between Congressional Terms (2007–2020)
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In March 2010, Mfume became the chief executive officer of the National Medical Association (NMA). This organization represents African American doctors. He left the NMA in June 2011.
In May 2013, Mfume was chosen to lead the board of regents at Morgan State University. This is his old college. He started this role on July 1, 2013. From 2013 to 2018, he also worked on health policy research.
Return to the U.S. House (2020–Present)
Elections and Rejoining Congress
2020 Special Election
On November 4, 2019, Mfume announced he would run for Congress again. He wanted to fill the seat in Maryland's 7th district. This seat became empty after the death of his predecessor, Elijah Cummings.
On February 4, 2020, Mfume won the Democratic nomination. He defeated Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, who was Elijah Cummings's widow. The 7th district is a strong Democratic area. This meant Mfume was very likely to win the general election. He won against Republican Kimberly Klacik on April 28, 2020. He was sworn into office on May 5, returning to Congress after 24 years.
2020 General Election
Mfume ran for a full term in November 2020. He won again, defeating Kimberly Klacik in a second election.
2022 General Election
Mfume was re-elected in 2022, continuing to represent his district.
Committee Work in Congress
In the 117th Congress, Mfume serves on several important committees:
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: This committee watches how the government spends money and makes sure it works well.
- Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: Focuses on protecting people's basic rights.
- Subcommittee on National Security: Deals with issues related to national safety.
- Committee on Small Business (Vice Chair): Helps small businesses grow and succeed.
- Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce (Chair): Looks at how the government hires companies and manages its workers.
- Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Regulations: Checks that rules for small businesses are fair.
- Committee on Education and Labor: Works on laws about schools, jobs, and workers' rights.
- Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services: Deals with equal rights and services for people.
Congressional Groups (Caucuses)
Source: Mfume is also part of several caucuses, which are groups of members of Congress who share common interests:
- Congressional Black Caucus: A group of African American members of Congress.
- Congressional Progressive Caucus: Members who support progressive policies.
- Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus: Supports Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
- Congressional Caribbean Caucus: Focuses on relations with Caribbean nations.
- Congressional Ukraine Caucus: Supports Ukraine.
Political Views
In the 117th Congress, Kweisi Mfume voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time. This means he often agreed with the President's plans and policies.
Personal Life
Kweisi Mfume is a member of the Prince Hall Freemasons. He is also part of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
He married Tiffany McMillan in 2012. Tiffany 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
