Monica Conyers facts for kids

Monica Ann Conyers (born Esters, October 31, 1964) is an American politician from Detroit, Michigan. She was elected to the Detroit City Council in 2005. Later, her fellow council members chose her to be the president pro tempore for a four-year term. She faced legal issues in 2009 and was found to have acted improperly in her role, leading to time in prison.

Early Life and Education

Monica Ann Esters was born in River Rouge, Michigan, on October 31, 1964. She grew up in west Detroit with her mother and attended Henry Ford High School. After high school, she went to college. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education and Political Science from Bennett College. She also completed a master's degree in Public Administration from Central Michigan University. Later, Conyers studied law at the University of the District of Columbia School of Law and received a Juris Doctor degree.

Career in Public Service

Monica Conyers started her career as a teacher, working with teenagers who had special learning needs. She then moved into jobs in school administration, becoming a vice administrator for Detroit Public Schools. Conyers became more involved in politics and is a member of the Democratic Party.

Joining the Detroit City Council

In 2005, Conyers ran for a seat on the Detroit City Council and was elected for a four-year term. At that time, all candidates for the council ran "at-large." This means they had to get votes from people all across the city, not just from one specific area. After being elected, other members of the council chose her to serve as president pro tempore. Kenneth Cockrel, Jr. was chosen to be the President of the City Council.

Becoming Council President

In 2008, there was a difficult time for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. He resigned from his position on September 19, 2008. When this happened, the council president, Kenneth Cockrel, Jr., became the mayor of Detroit. This was a temporary role until a special election could be held. According to the city's rules, Monica Conyers, who was the president pro tempore, then became the President of the City Council.

A special election for mayor was held on May 5, 2009. Kenneth Cockrel, Jr. ran for mayor but was not elected; Dave Bing won the election. Monica Conyers initially wanted to check if she could keep her position as President of the City Council. She learned that the city's rules allowed her to do so. However, after finding out that the council's legal team believed Cockrel had the right to return to his role as Council President, she decided not to challenge the change. She returned to her role as president pro tempore for the rest of her term.

Political Views and Decisions

Monica Conyers sometimes made news for disagreeing with her fellow members in the Michigan Democratic Party and on the city council. The council was made up entirely of Democrats. For example, she was the only council member to vote against a decision that asked Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to resign during a difficult time for him.

Legal Challenges

In 2009, Monica Conyers faced legal issues related to her work on the city council. She was found to have acted improperly regarding a contract with the City of Detroit. She pleaded guilty to the charges. In March 2010, she was sentenced to time in prison.

She served her time at the Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia. She was released from prison in December 2012 and then began a period of supervised release. She was later allowed to live at home in the Detroit area in January 2013. She was officially released from federal supervision in May 2013. To meet the requirements of her release, Conyers worked part-time as a cashier at an auto parts store and as a ticket agent at the Greyhound Station.

Personal Life

On June 4, 1990, Monica Esters married John Conyers. He was a long-serving Congressman who represented Detroit. She was 25 years old, and he was 61. They had two sons together, John James Conyers III and Carl Edward Conyers.

In 2015, reports stated that Conyers had filed for divorce. However, the divorce action was later ended, and the couple remained married until John Conyers passed away in 2019.