Sharon Pratt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sharon Pratt
Mayor of the District of Columbia
In office January 2, 1991 – January 2, 1995
Preceded by	Marion Barry
Succeeded by	Marion Barry
Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee
In office February 1, 1985 – February 10, 1989
Preceded by	Paul Kirk
Succeeded by	Robert Farmer
Personal details
Born	Sharon Pratt (1944-01-30) January 30, 1944 (age 81) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Arrington Dixon (1967–1982) James Kelly (1991–1999)
Children	2
Education	Howard University (BA, JD)

Sharon Pratt (born January 30, 1944) is an American lawyer and politician. She made history as the first woman to become the mayor of the District of Columbia. She was also the first mayor born in Washington, D.C., since 1861. She served as mayor from 1991 to 1995. Before becoming mayor, she was known as Sharon Pratt Dixon and later Sharon Pratt Kelly.

Sharon Pratt's Early Life and Education

Sharon Pratt was born in Washington, D.C., on January 30, 1944. Her father, Carlisle Edward Pratt, was a judge. Her mother, Mildred "Peggy" Pratt, passed away when Sharon was young. Her grandmother and aunt helped raise Sharon and her younger sister.

Sharon went to public schools in D.C., including Roosevelt High School, where she graduated with honors in 1961. She was good at baseball but chose not to play it professionally. She then attended Howard University. There, she joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority in 1964. She earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in political science in 1965. In 1968, she received her law degree (Juris Doctor or J.D.) from the Howard University School of Law.

In 1966, she married Arrington Dixon. They had two daughters together before divorcing after sixteen years. When she became mayor, she was known as Sharon Pratt Dixon. In 1991, she married James R. Kelly III and changed her name to Sharon Pratt Kelly. After their divorce in 1999, she went back to using her birth name, Sharon Pratt.

Sharon Pratt's Political Career

Sharon Pratt was interested in national politics early in her career. She represented the District of Columbia on the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 1977 to 1990. She was the first woman to hold this position. The DNC is a group that guides the Democratic Party in the U.S. From 1985 to 1989, she served as the DNC's Treasurer.

In 1983, she became the Vice President of Community Relations at Pepco, which is the electric company for D.C. She was the first woman and the first African American to hold this role. That same year, she received an award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The NAACP is a civil rights organization that works for justice and equality for African Americans.

Becoming Mayor: The 1990 Election

Sharon Pratt decided to run for mayor in 1990 because she was concerned about her hometown. She challenged the current mayor, Marion Barry. Other experienced politicians also joined the race. Pratt called her main opponents the "three blind mice." She said they did nothing while the city faced problems. She was the only candidate who asked Mayor Barry to resign. She presented herself as an outsider, not part of the existing political system.

The Washington Post, a major newspaper, supported her campaign. After this, her support from voters grew quickly. Even though she had the smallest campaign team and the least money, Sharon Pratt won the primary election. A primary election is when voters choose which candidate from their party will run in the main election. She defeated her closest opponent by 10%. Since Washington, D.C., mostly votes for Democratic candidates, her win in the general election in November was expected. She was sworn in as mayor on January 2, 1991.

Sharon Pratt's Time as Mayor of D.C.

As mayor, Sharon Pratt wanted to make big changes. She asked all officials who had been appointed by the previous mayor to resign. She also started reducing the number of city employees and freezing wages. This upset some labor leaders who felt she had broken promises. She worked hard to remove people connected to the previous mayor, even if it made her own administration weaker. Some people criticized her, saying she seemed distant from working-class people in the city.

Mayor Kelly also had disagreements with the D.C. Council. She wanted to move the city government offices to a different building while the main city hall was being fixed. The Council had agreed at first but then refused to move. They accused her of not maintaining their building to force them out.

Efforts for D.C. Statehood

Mayor Kelly strongly supported making D.C. a state. She believed this would help the city's money problems and give it more political power. However, this idea faced strong opposition from some members of Congress. They criticized D.C. and its government. These attacks brought negative attention to the city. The plan for D.C. statehood did not pass in the House of Representatives. This weakened Mayor Kelly's political standing.

The Redskins Stadium Issue

Mayor Kelly was also involved in the issue of the Washington Redskins football team moving out of D.C. The team's owner, Jack Kent Cooke, wanted the city to build a new stadium. He threatened to move the team to Virginia if a new stadium wasn't built. Mayor Kelly spoke out against him, saying she would not let a "billionaire bully" push the city around. She said she had offered all she could. Although an agreement was eventually reached, the team owner later decided to move the team to Maryland.

City Finances and Re-election

When Mayor Kelly first took office, she had good relations with Congress. She successfully got more federal money for D.C. and permission to sell bonds to reduce the city's debt. However, by late 1993, D.C. faced a large budget problem. Experts predicted the city's debt would grow even more. The U.S. Congress asked for a review of the city's finances.

In 1994, Mayor Kelly faced criticism for how she spent city money. Reports said she used taxpayer funds for makeup for TV appearances and for office renovations. The government report on D.C.'s finances was released in June 1994. It said the city would run out of money soon and accused Mayor Kelly's administration of mismanaging funds. This report, along with Congress taking more control over D.C.'s budget, hurt her chances for re-election.

The Washington Post, which had supported her in 1990, endorsed another candidate in 1994. They said Mayor Kelly had not been good at bringing people together, which a mayor needs to do, especially during tough times. In the Democratic primary election that September, Mayor Kelly finished third. Marion Barry won the primary and later won the general election, becoming mayor again.

After Being Mayor

After her time as mayor, Sharon Pratt continued to work. In 2003, her company, Pratt Consulting, received a contract from the D.C. Department of Health. Her job was to help the city connect with federal agencies for homeland security. She also looked into ways to improve communication and technology to protect D.C. from threats. Her company works with government agencies and non-profit groups.

Awards and Recognition

Sharon Pratt has received several awards for her work:

• Glamour magazine's Woman of the Year Award
• Congressional Black Caucus’ Mary McLeod Bethune-W. E. B. Du Bois Award
• Clean Cities Award, 1993
• Candace Award, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, 1991

See also

In Spanish: Sharon Pratt para niños