Stephanie Rawlings-Blake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Rawlings-Blake in 2013
|
|
| Secretary of the Democratic National Committee | |
| In office January 22, 2013 – February 25, 2017 |
|
| Chair | Debbie Wasserman Schultz Donna Brazile (acting) |
| Preceded by | Alice Germond |
| Succeeded by | Jason Rae |
| 73rd President of the United States Conference of Mayors | |
| In office December 21, 2015 – July 22, 2016 |
|
| Preceded by | Kevin Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Mick Cornett |
| 50th Mayor of Baltimore | |
| In office February 4, 2010 – December 6, 2016 |
|
| Preceded by | Sheila Dixon |
| Succeeded by | Catherine Pugh |
| President of the Baltimore City Council | |
| In office January 17, 2007 – February 4, 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Sheila Dixon |
| Succeeded by | Jack Young |
| Vice President of the Baltimore City Council | |
| In office 1999–2007 |
|
| President | Sheila Dixon |
| Succeeded by | Edward Reisinger |
| Member of the Baltimore City Council | |
| In office 1995–2007 |
|
| Succeeded by | Sharon Green Middleton |
| Constituency | 5th district (1995–2004) 6th district (2004–2007) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Stephanie C. Rawlings
March 17, 1970 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Kent Blake (separated) |
| Relations | Pete Rawlings (Father) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Oberlin College (BA) University of Maryland, Baltimore (JD) |
Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake (born March 17, 1970) is an American politician and lawyer. She served as the 50th Mayor of Baltimore from 2010 to 2016. She was the second woman to hold this important position. She also worked as the secretary of the Democratic National Committee and as president of the United States Conference of Mayors.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Growing Up in Baltimore
Stephanie Cole Rawlings was born on March 17, 1970, in Baltimore, Maryland. Her parents were Nina Rawlings and Pete Rawlings. She grew up in the city's Ashburton neighborhood. Her mother was a doctor, and her father was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates. Stephanie has two siblings, a brother named Wendell and a sister named Lisa.
High School and College Years
Stephanie attended Western High School in Baltimore. This school is the oldest public all-girls high school in the United States. In 1984, she was chosen as the vice president of her class. She graduated from high school in 1988.
After high school, Stephanie went to Oberlin College in Ohio. She earned a degree in political science in 1992. She then returned to Baltimore to study law at the University of Maryland School of Law. She received her law degree in 1995. She became a licensed lawyer in Maryland in 1996 and could practice in federal courts by 1997.
Stephanie is also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She was part of the Alliance of Black Women Attorneys.
Political Career
Starting in Politics
From 1990 to 1998, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was part of the Baltimore City Democratic State Central Committee. In the 1990s, she worked as a lobbyist in Annapolis for the Young Democrats of Maryland. A lobbyist tries to influence lawmakers on behalf of a group.
Later, she worked as a lawyer helping people who couldn't afford legal services. From 1997, she worked for the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau. Then, from 1998 to 2006, she was a staff attorney for the Maryland Office of the Public Defender.
Serving on the Baltimore City Council
In 1995, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake made history. She became the youngest person ever elected to the Baltimore City Council. She represented District 5 from 1995 to 2004. After the city's districts were redrawn, she represented District 6 from 2004 to 2007.
From 1999 to 2007, she also served as the vice president of the Baltimore City Council.
Becoming City Council President
On January 17, 2007, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake became the President of the City Council. This happened when the previous City Council President, Sheila Dixon, became mayor. Baltimore City's rules state that if the mayor's office becomes empty, the City Council must choose a new president.
In June 2007, Rawlings-Blake announced she wanted to serve a full four-year term as council president. She focused on improving education and reducing crime in the city. She won the election with 49 percent of the votes in the Democratic primary. In the main election, she won with 82 percent of the votes.
Mayor of Baltimore
.jpg)
On February 4, 2010, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake became the mayor of Baltimore City. This happened because Mayor Sheila Dixon resigned from her position. According to the city's rules, the City Council President automatically takes over as mayor if the office becomes empty.
Rawlings-Blake then decided to run for a full term as mayor in the 2011 mayoral election. She won the Democratic primary with 52% of the votes. In November 2011, she won the general election with 84% of the votes. In 2012, she shared her goal as mayor: to help Baltimore grow by 10,000 families.
In September 2015, Rawlings-Blake announced she would not run for re-election in 2016. She said she wanted to focus on the city's future, not her own political career.
2015 Baltimore Protests
In April 2015, there were protests in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray. Some of these protests became violent. On April 25, after several hours of unrest, Mayor Rawlings-Blake asked for help from the Maryland National Guard. Two days later, she asked the governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, to declare a state of emergency. She also asked for more help from the National Guard.
Mayor Rawlings-Blake later explained that it was difficult to manage the situation. She said that while trying to protect peaceful protesters, there was also space where those who wanted to cause trouble could act. She clarified that she did not give permission for destruction. She also used a strong word to describe those causing violence, which led to some criticism. She later apologized for using that word.
Secretary of the Democratic National Committee
In January 2013, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was chosen to be the secretary of the Democratic National Committee. She worked under Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. She helped lead the 2016 Democratic National Convention. At this convention, she was one of 23 special delegates from Maryland.
Political Ideas and Actions
City Budget Plans
.jpg)
In February 2013, Baltimore City received a report about its financial future. This report was requested by Mayor Rawlings-Blake. It showed some money challenges the city would face.
To fix these challenges, Rawlings-Blake created a plan called "Change to Grow: A Ten-Year Financial Plan for Baltimore." This was the city's first long-term financial plan. It suggested changes to employee pensions, city taxes, and how the city operates. By using parts of this plan, Baltimore was able to reduce a large budget shortfall.
Tackling Empty Buildings
When Rawlings-Blake became mayor, Baltimore had about 16,000 empty buildings. This was due to the city's population decreasing over many years. In November 2010, she started the Vacants to Value (V2V) program. This program aimed to reduce the number of empty buildings.
The V2V program helped make it easier to deal with city-owned empty properties. It offered help to people who wanted to buy and fix up these homes. It also supported big projects to rebuild struggling areas and tear down buildings that were beyond repair.
In 2013, Baltimore Housing won an award for the V2V program from the Urban Land Institute. The program has also been recognized by the Obama administration and other important groups.
Other Activities and Achievements
In 2015, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake made a special appearance in the musical Chicago. She was the first mayor to perform in the show, appearing for one night on March 4, 2015.
Awards and Honors
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has received many awards for her work.
- In 2007 and 2011, the Daily Record named her one of Maryland's Top 100 Women.
- She received the Shirley Chisholm Memorial Award Trailblazer in 2009.
- In 2010, she was named an Innovator of the Year by the Maryland Daily Record.
- The Baltimore Sun included her in its list of 50 Women to Watch in 2013.
- She also received the Fullwood Foundation Award of Excellence (2010) and the Distinguished Leadership Award (2012).
- In 2013, she was given the Maryland State Senate's First Citizen Award and the Baltimore Black Pride ICONS We Love Award.
- In 2014, Vanity Fair magazine listed her among the Top 10 Best-Dressed Mayors.
See Also
- List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States
