Roberta Achtenberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roberta Achtenberg
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An official portrait of Roberta Achtenberg from the U.S Commission on Civil Rights
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| Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors | |
| In office 1991–1993 |
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| Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity | |
| In office 1993–1995 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Succeeded by | Susan Leal |
| Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development | |
| In office 1995–1997 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights | |
| In office 2011–2016 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 20, 1950 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
David Chavkin
(div. 1977) |
| Domestic partner | Mary C. Morgan (separated) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley (BA) University of Utah (JD) |
Roberta Achtenberg (born July 20, 1950) is an American lawyer and champion for civil rights. She served as a commissioner on the United States Commission on Civil Rights. Before that, she was an Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She made history as the first openly gay or lesbian public official in the United States to be confirmed for a federal position by the United States Senate. This important confirmation process received a lot of attention, both positive and negative.
Achtenberg studied at different branches of the University of California and later at the University of Utah. Before her political career, she worked as a lawyer, director, and educator. She also helped start important organizations. Achtenberg has a son and has received many awards for her work. She has also written many articles throughout her career.
Contents
Roberta Achtenberg's Early Life and Education
Growing Up in California
Roberta Achtenberg's father came to the United States from the Soviet Union. Her mother was from Quebec. Both of her parents had little formal schooling. They owned a grocery store in Los Angeles. Roberta and her three brothers and sisters grew up in California.
Her Path Through College
After finishing Morningside High School in Inglewood, California, Achtenberg first attended University of California, Los Angeles. She then moved to the University of California, Berkeley, graduating in 1972. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. At Berkeley, she was recognized for her excellent academic achievements. She also met her former husband, David Chavkin, there. She started law school at University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She later received her law degree from the University of Utah in 1975.
Family Life and Public Identity
Roberta Achtenberg and David Chavkin divorced in 1977. Soon after, she shared her identity with her family. When Achtenberg's identity became public, she received support from across the country. Many people who support LGBTQ+ rights rallied to her side. Some religious and conservative groups, however, spoke out against her.
Achtenberg met her former partner, Mary Morgan, a judge, in 1979. They became partners in 1982. In 1985, Achtenberg and Morgan had a son named Benjamin. They were one of the most visible lesbian couples with a child during Achtenberg's time in politics.
Roberta Achtenberg's Career Journey
Early Work in Civil Rights
Before becoming a public official, Achtenberg worked for over 15 years. She was a civil rights lawyer, a public interest advocate, and a director for non-profit groups. She also taught law.
From 1975 to 1976, she was a teaching fellow at Stanford University Law School. In 1976, Achtenberg became the Dean of the New College of California School of Law. She supported the LGBTQ community early in her career. In 1977, she helped start the National Center for Lesbian Rights with Donna Hitchens. This center helps LGBTQ+ individuals. It offers legal services, advice, and education.
Achtenberg also worked for LGBTQ rights with the Anti-Sexism Committee for the National Lawyers Guild in 1978. While there, she edited a book called Sexual Orientation and the Law (1985). This project aimed to guide how to properly represent gay and lesbian people in legal matters.
Other Professional Roles
Achtenberg also served on the Board of Directors for the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco from 1997 to 2002. There, she led the Affordable Housing Committee. She also worked as a Staff Attorney for the Lesbian Rights Project of Equal Rights Advocates. In 2000, she became a Director at Andrew J. Wong, Inc., where she still works. In 2018, she joined the Policy Transition team for San Francisco Mayor London Breed. She helped address various issues, including LGBTQ policies.
She is a founder and partner at ABK City Advisors. She also works as a Senior Advisor at Lennar Corporation. Additionally, she is the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Bank of San Francisco.
Roberta Achtenberg's Political Career
Serving San Francisco
Achtenberg first ran for a seat in the California State Assembly in 1988 but did not win. In 1990, she was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. This was a historic moment, as she and Carole Migden were the first two openly lesbian women to win seats on the board. During her time on the Board of Supervisors, she worked on issues from individual rights to supporting small businesses. She also helped create domestic violence shelters. In 1992, while still on the Board of Supervisors, Achtenberg was chosen to help write the National Democratic Party's platform.
National Role in Housing and Civil Rights
In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed her Assistant Secretary for the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. This made her the first openly LGBTQ person to be appointed and confirmed to a position within a cabinet office. In this role, Achtenberg successfully helped integrate a previously all-white town in Vidor, Texas. This public housing integration faced opposition. She also worked to find homes for families displaced by a hurricane in 1994. Her team also worked to make housing systems fairer. Her group received Vice President Gore's Hammer Award. From 1995 to 1997, she served as a senior advisor to the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Achtenberg left her federal post in 1995 to run for mayor of San Francisco. She placed third in the election. From 1998 to 2004, Achtenberg helped create policies for the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. She also worked for the San Francisco Center for Economic Development. She was the Senior Vice President for Public Policy at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce until January 2005. In 2004, she helped a same-sex couple, Phyllis Ann Lyon and Del Martin, get the first marriage license issued to a same-sex couple by San Francisco.
In 2000, Governor Gray Davis appointed her to the Board of Trustees of California State University. She became the chair of the board in May 2006. She served on the CSU Board of Trustees until 2015, a total of 16 years. During her time, she helped develop the Access to Excellence Plan. Achtenberg was also key in forming the CSU Institute for Palliative Care. She received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree for her extensive work with California State University.
Achtenberg led the Housing and Urban Development Department's team that helped the Obama administration during its transition in 2008. On January 26, 2011, President Barack Obama named Achtenberg a Commissioner for the United States Commission on Civil Rights. She served in this role until 2016.
Historic Confirmation Hearing
Roberta Achtenberg was nominated by President Bill Clinton to be the Assistant Secretary of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. Her confirmation was announced around the same time a ban on gay people in the military was lifted. Her confirmation hearing began on April 29, 1993, in front of the Senate's Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
After three days of debates, including long discussions, Achtenberg was confirmed by the Senate on May 24, 1993. The vote was 58 in favor to 31 against. Roberta Achtenberg was the first openly LGBTQ+ person to go through the Senate confirmation process. She then became the first openly LGBTQ+ person to hold a federal position.
During the hearing, many Senators questioned Achtenberg. She faced strong opposition from some, like Senator Jesse Helms. However, she also received support from many organizations and people. These included the National Fair Housing Alliance and Senator Feinstein. Achtenberg shared her goals for the position. She stated that she would work to end housing discrimination. She wanted to ensure people could make free and fair choices about their homes.
Awards and Recognition
Roberta Achtenberg has received many awards for her important work:
- She was named the "Woman of the Year" in 1993 by Advocate Article, a magazine for gay and lesbian people.
- She received the Visibility Award in 1994 from the GLAAD Media Awards.
- The San Francisco Business Times recognized her five times as one of the "50 Most Influential Businesswomen" in the Bay Area.
- She received the Founders Award from the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
- The National Community Reinvestment Coalition gave her the Award of Excellence.
- The California State Senate for the Third District named her "Woman of the Year."
- The United Way, Bay Area, declared her Management Volunteer of the Year.
- She received the Southern California Women for Understanding Achievement Award.
- The National Organization for Women gave her the Women of Achievement Award.
- She received an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from California State University and California State University San Marcos.
- In 2012, Equality Forum named her one of their 31 Icons of LGBT History Month.
- In 2021, the California Legislature's LGBTQ Caucus named her a Pride Honoree. This was for her pioneering work and for being the first openly LGBTQ person to hold a federal position.
- She was inducted into the LGBTQ Victory Institute's Hall of Fame in 2021 as part of the Founding Class.
- In 2022, during Women's History Month, the Department of Housing and Urban Development recognized her as #WomenWhoBuiltHUD.
