Monica Faith Stewart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Monica Faith Stewart
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| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 29th district |
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| In office January 14, 1981 – January 12, 1983 |
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| Preceded by | Clarence B. Williamson |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 3, 1952 Chicago |
| Political party | Democratic |
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Monica Faith Stewart (born September 3, 1952) is an American politician. She was a member of the Democratic Party. She served in the Illinois House of Representatives for one term. She represented the 29th district from 1981 to 1983.
Early Life and Education
Monica Faith Stewart was born in Chicago on September 3, 1952. She went to Chicago Public Schools. In 1970, she graduated from Englewood High School.
In 1974, she received a special award to study in East Africa. She spent some weeks in Mozambique. In 1975, she earned a bachelor's degree in History. She graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Later, she earned a master's degree. This was from the John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Political Career
Stewart first ran for a political job in 1977. She tried to become an alderman in Chicago. An alderman is a local city leader. She did not win this election.
In 1980, she was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. She was one of three representatives from the 29th district. This district was on Chicago's South Side. She ran as an independent Democrat. She won the primary election by a large number of votes. She also received the most votes in the general election. The Chicago Defender newspaper called it a "hotly contested" race. At that time, she was the youngest African American woman to serve in the Illinois state legislature.
As a state representative, she worked on important committees. These included the Executive Committee and the Public Utilities Committee. During her time, a new rule called the Cutback Amendment was passed. This rule changed how districts were set up. It also reduced the number of representatives. Stewart supported a plan that would keep many districts with a majority of Black voters. She believed it was important for Black people to use both major political parties.
In 1982, Stewart ran for a seat in the U.S. Congress. She did not win the primary election. After this, she ran for reelection to the state legislature. She ran as an independent candidate. However, she lost the general election.
Stewart continued to be involved in politics. She worked for Harold Washington's campaign in 1983. He successfully became the mayor of Chicago. In 1986, she ran for the Chicago City Council again. She was supported by the Chicago Tribune and Mayor Washington. She did not win this election. In 1990, she ran for the 31st House District seat. She lost this race as well.
Later Work
In 1994, Monica Faith Stewart worked with the United Nations. She was an observer for the 1994 South African general election. After this election, she moved to South Africa. She opened a restaurant in Johannesburg.
In 2000, Governor George Ryan gave Stewart a new job. She became the managing director of the Illinois Africa Trade and Investment Office. This office was in South Africa. It was one of the few U.S. state trade offices in Africa at that time. She worked in this role until 2009.
She was also involved with Democrats Abroad. She was a delegate for Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008.
Images for kids
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Monica Faith Stewart in 1981.
