S01 Ep34: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Leading by Influence

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton has represented Washington, D.C. for 25 years, but her responsibilities are different than those of other representatives.

Because Washington, D.C. is not a state, she doesn’t have a vote on the House floor. This would seem to make her job more challenging than it is for other representatives but she has risen above this limitation time and again, finding creative ways to demonstrate the importance of legislation that matters most to her district. She shares some of those stories in our discussion.

Congresswoman Norton was born and raised in D.C. during a time when schools and restaurants were segregated. She was one of the only African-American women at Antioch College, one of the only women at Yale law school, and she has fought for civil rights throughout her life. She is inspired by stories about her great-grandfather – a slave who escaped to D.C. and was able to thrive as the capital city grew. She is a loving mother and grandmother who describes herself as a “type A – oldest child."  

 

Listen to the podcast to hear Congresswomen Norton discuss: 

Why D.C. residents pay the highest Federal taxes per capita, but have no vote in the House or Senate

The complicated legislative process that must happen in order for D.C. to become a state and gain full representation in Congress. How the National Rifle Association (NRA) was able to stop that process in 2009.

The notion that the first born comes into the world and doesn’t have role models, so she strikes out on her own. (Hint: Eleanor was first born!)

Encouraging young women to look at others who have achieved great things such as Harriet Tubman. See the link to her biography below. 

Eleanor's biography,“Fire in my Soul,” that tells the story of how her great-grandfather, Richard Holmes, escaped from slavery and thrived in Washington, D.C.

How Richard Holmes avoided being captured and how that taught Eleanor the value of thinking and planning ahead

Civil Rights progress and the work that remains

Legislation championed by the bipartisan
Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus 

The Able Act which helps disabled people to engage in banking and saving, and helps move them toward independence

Founding the Caucus on Black Men and Boys with Representative Danny Davis and bringing Trayvon Martin's parents to the Hill to testify

The connection between the loss of stable manufacturing jobs and the breakdown of the family in African-American communities

The effect of 70% of children in African-American communities being raised by a single mother

Her thoughts on the first African-American President and the possibility of the first women President of the United States

Ways to effect change even when your political party is not in power

Cultivating a relationship, a friendship really, with the Republican Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, and how that kept D.C. open during government shutdowns

Revitalizing areas of D.C. in ways that don't displace residents

Getting in exercise during her busy day

The joys of spending time with her grandsons

Enjoying D.C.'s green spaces including Theodore Roosevelt Island, Rock Creek Park, The Mall, Dupont Park, and Kenilworth Park 

Lunchtime Music on the Mall, an initiative to encourage Federal employees and others to use the Mall during the day

Quotes from Congresswomen Eleanor Homes Norton

 

“If you sit around thinking about how difficult something is instead of how to go about doing it, even if incrementally, you just won’t get there.”

 

“Read about the lives of people who accomplished great things under great duress.”

 

“You’ve got to understand the progress you’ve made, but any satisfaction with it is deadly, and will keep you from moving forward.”

 

Contact Lisa at [email protected]