Patricia Roberts Harris

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Patricia Roberts Harris

Patricia Roberts Harris (birth name: Roberts ) (born May 31, 1924 in Mattoon , Illinois , † March 23, 1985 in Washington, DC ) was an American diplomat and politician of the Democratic Party .

biography

Patricia Harris when she was inaugurated as Ambassador in 1965

She became politically active at an early age and took part in sit-ins of the civil rights movement in Washington DC since 1943 . In 1965 she was the first African American woman to be appointed US Ambassador by President Lyndon B. Johnson and was accredited as such in Luxembourg . In 1971 she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences .

Later it was President Jimmy Carter appointed the first African American in the government and was initially of 23 January 1977 to 10 September 1979 Housing Minister ( Secretary of Housing and Urban Development ). As part of a reshuffle of the Cabinet it was on August 3, 1979, first Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare ( Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare ), before finally, after a reorganization of the ministries of May 4, 1980 to January 20, 1981 as health minister ( Secretary of Health and Human Services officiated). Patricia Harris has been characterized as a resolute agency chief who was also a strong advocate of government interference in solving social problems.

In 1982 Harris took part in the primary of the Democratic Party for mayoral elections in Washington DC, which is the actual election given the political strength of the Democrats in the capital district. She challenged incumbent Marion Barry , who prevailed again with 59 percent of the vote. Three years later she succumbed to breast cancer .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Washington Post: Barry's Tenure Was a Roller-Coaster Ride

Web links

Commons : Patricia Roberts Harris  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Harris, Patricia Roberts
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Patricia Roberts
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH May 31, 1924
PLACE OF BIRTH Mattoon , Illinois
DATE OF DEATH March 23, 1985
Place of death Washington, DC