With the swearing in of Senator John Kerry as the new Secretary of State, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is slated to appoint his former chief of staff William “Mo” Cowan to serve as the place holder until voters can choose a permanent replacement to complete the remainder of Senator Kerry’s term during a special election scheduled for June 25.
As an African-American who has worked in electoral politics for over a decade and also as a historian that has examined the plight of blacks in politics who has mixed feelings about the appointment process in government, I am pleased and excited about the Governor’s choice for a number of reasons.
First and foremost “Mo” Cowan has an impeccable resume. He is a graduate of Duke University and the Northeastern University Law School. He has served as the Governor’s chief legal counsel and finally chief of staff, which are two key positions in any Governor’s administration that are not to be taken lightly. “Mo’s” hard work earned him the reputation of being “one of Boston’s leading attorneys” according to Frank Phillips of the Boston Globe. Second, his appointment while temporary will make him only the eighth African-American to serve in the United States Senate. This is where the historical significance comes into play.
The Senate is one of the most powerful political body's in the nation; the chamber is second only to the office of the Presidency. Who would have ever imagined that Massachusetts, a state where African-Americans comprise a mere 8% of the entire population, will soon become the state to be remembered in the history books as the first to have had two African-American Senators as well as the first to have an African-American sitting Governor and US Senator! Milestones that we can all build on….
First and foremost “Mo” Cowan has an impeccable resume. He is a graduate of Duke University and the Northeastern University Law School. He has served as the Governor’s chief legal counsel and finally chief of staff, which are two key positions in any Governor’s administration that are not to be taken lightly. “Mo’s” hard work earned him the reputation of being “one of Boston’s leading attorneys” according to Frank Phillips of the Boston Globe. Second, his appointment while temporary will make him only the eighth African-American to serve in the United States Senate. This is where the historical significance comes into play.
The Senate is one of the most powerful political body's in the nation; the chamber is second only to the office of the Presidency. Who would have ever imagined that Massachusetts, a state where African-Americans comprise a mere 8% of the entire population, will soon become the state to be remembered in the history books as the first to have had two African-American Senators as well as the first to have an African-American sitting Governor and US Senator! Milestones that we can all build on….
African-Americans in the US Senate
· Hiram Rhodes Revels (Mississippi in 1870 – 1871) was the first African-American to serve in the Senate.
· Blanche Kelso Bruce (Mississippi 1875 – 1881) was the first African-American to serve a full six-year term as senator and the only senator to be a former slave.
· Edward William Brooke (Massachusetts 1967 – 1979) was the first African-American to be popularly elected, the first to be re-elected, and the first to be elected outside of the southern states.
· Carol Moseley Braun (Illinois 1993 – 1999) was the first female African-American to serve in the Senate.
· Barack Obama (Illinois 2005 - 2008) was the fifth African-American to serve as a senator. He resigned from his office to become the first African-American President of the United States.
· Roland Burris (Illinois 2009 – 2010) was the first African-American to be appointed and the first to succeed another African American. He was appointed by Governor Rod Blagojevich to fill the seat vacted by Barack Obama after he was elected president.
· Tim Scott (South Carolina 2013 - ) was both the first African-American and the first to be affiliated with the Republican Party to represent a southern state since the end of reconstruction. He was appointed by Governor Nikki Haley to succeed Jim DeMint.
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| William “Mo” Cowan |
I suspect that its for some of the same reasons that Douglas Wilder and the aforementioned Patrick are the only African Americans to win gubernatorial races.
ReplyDeleteHave we reached a point where African-Americans can win statewide races?
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