Earl Hilliard Sr.
Earl Hilliard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 7th district | |
| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Claude Harris, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Artur Davis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Earl Frederick Hilliard April 9, 1942 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Morehouse College (B.A.) Howard University (J.D.) Atlanta University (M.B.A.) |
Earl Frederick Hilliard (born April 9, 1942) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Alabama who served as the U.S. Representative for the state's 7th district.[1][2]
Life and career
Hilliard was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and graduated from Morehouse College. He was elected as a Democrat to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1974 and served from 1975 until 1981 and in the Alabama Senate from 1981 until 1992. Hilliard was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1992 from the 7th District, a 65 percent black-majority district stretching from Birmingham to Montgomery. In the process, he became the first person of color in modern times to represent Alabama in Congress. He also became the first Democrat to represent a significant portion of the capital since 1965.[1]
He faced his first serious challenge from Artur Davis in the 2000 Democratic primary election--the real contest in this heavily Democratic district--but prevailed. Davis challenged Hilliard again in 2002 in a district that had been changed significantly by redistricting. The 7th lost its share of Montgomery, and was pushed further into Birmingham, absorbing a large number of mostly white precincts in that city. The campaign that year was focused on race and the Middle East. Hilliard's surrogates claimed that all Davis, also an African American, had done for African Americans as a federal prosecutor was to "put them in jail".[citation needed] In 2001 Hilliard voted against a bill funding increases in military support to Israel and opposing criminalization of Palestinian politicians. Hilliard finished in first place in the election, but he had not won a majority of the vote, so he again faced Davis in a run-off election. Davis won the run-off with 54% of the vote.[1][3]
Hilliard is a 1960 graduate of Western-Olin High School in Birmingham. He received a B.A. in 1960 from Morehouse College, a J.D. in 1967 from Howard University, and an M.B.A. in 1970 from Atlanta University.[4]
He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[5] He is a member of the board of the Congressional Black Caucus Institute.[6]
Hilliard's son, Earl Hilliard, Jr., is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2010, also in the 7th district.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Earl Frederick Hilliard". house.gov. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ "Earl F. Hilliard". globalpeace.org. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ "Earl F. Hilliard". congress.gov. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ "Earl F. Hilliard". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- ^ Hilliard listing on "Prominent Members" page of APA website
- ^ Congressional Black Caucus Institute board membership roster
External links
- 1942 births
- Living people
- African-American members of the United States House of Representatives
- African-American state legislators in Alabama
- Alabama State Senators
- Alabama lawyers
- Clark Atlanta University alumni
- Howard University School of Law alumni
- Members of the Alabama House of Representatives
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama
- Morehouse College alumni
- Politicians from Birmingham, Alabama
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives
- Alabama Democrats
- 21st-century American politicians