⇒ Between 1971 and 2009, the number of black state legislators has gone from 2% to 9%
⇒ Hispanics make up only 5% of state legislators, up from 2% in 1991
⇒ Representation varies greatly by state. Southern states are far more diverse, with Alabama having 24% of its state legislators black, Georgia 25% and Mississippi (28%)
⇒ 43 major cities currently have black mayors
⇒ Only 2 black senators
⇒ Women are not properly represented in either the house or the Senate (21% of senate is female and 20% of the house is female)
⇒ Average age in Congress is 62
But
⇒ Locality rule helps, and the creation of majority-minority districts has increased the representation of blacks in the house of representatives (46 in total)
⇒ 1972 - Shirley Chisholm became the first major party black candidate
⇒ 1984 - Jesse Jackson finished 3rd in Democratic primaries
⇒ 2008 - Obama became the first black president
⇒ Robert Weaver became the first affirmative action to head a federal executive department in 1966
⇒ Colin Powell was made secretary of state in 2001
⇒ Clinton and Obama both had racially diverse cabinets
⇒ Federal civil service has become less white during the past 2 decades (2010 it was 65.4% white)
⇒ Lyndon Johnson appointed the first black member of the Supreme Court (Thurgood Marshall), followed by Clarence Thomas
⇒ Obama appointed the first Hispanic judge (Sonia Sotomayor)
⇒ 83% of all judges are white (9% black and 4.5% Hispanic)
⇒ Clinton appointed 47% of all federal judges (nearly 20% were black)
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