BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICAN " CAROL MOSELEY BRAUN " A WOMAN EIGHTS ACTIVIST US REPRESENTATIVE, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND ONE OF THE BRAVE AND FEAR LESS BLACK PEOPLE : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK HEROES "

  BLACK SOCIAL                HISTORY                                                       Carol Moseley Braun Biography

Women's Rights Activist, U.S. Representative, Civil Rights Activist (1947–)

QUICK FACTS

NAME

Carol Moseley Braun

OCCUPATION

Women's Rights Activist, U.S. Representative, Civil Rights Activist

BIRTH DATE

August 16, 1947 (age 67)

EDUCATION

University of Illinois College of Law

PLACE OF BIRTH

Chicago, Illinois

AKA

Carol Moseley Braun

Carol Moseley

Carol Braun

FULL NAME

Carol Elizabeth Moseley Braun

ORIGINALLY

Carol Elizabeth Moseley

ZODIAC SIGN

Leo

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Carol Moseley Braun became the first African-American woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992.

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Synopsis

Born on August 16, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois, Carol Moseley Braun was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992, becoming the first black woman to earn that distinction. While in office, Moseley Braun was accused of misusing funds from her 1992 campaign, and she lost her next race. She joined the private sector in 2004.

Early Career

Carol Moseley Braun was born Carol Elizabeth Moseley on August 16, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois. A leading African-American politician, Moseley Braun's career has been marked by both great successes and missteps.

After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1969 with a degree in political science, Moseley Braun attended the university's law school. She earned her law degree in 1972, and began working as an assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago the following year.

Moseley Braun held her first political post as a Democratic representative to Illinois House of Representatives, beginning in 1978. As a representative, she was known as an advocate for social change, working for reforms in education, government, and healthcare. In 1988, she took another challenge. She was elected recorder of deeds for Cook County, Illinois, overseeing hundreds of employees as well as the public agency's multimillion-dollar budget.

First Black Woman Elected to the Senate

In 1992, Moseley Braun made the leap to the national political arena: She ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate, looking to unseat incumbent Democratic Senator Alan Dixon in the Democratic primary. Up against a seasoned politician who had spent decades in office, Moseley Braun appeared to be the underdog. But many responded to Moseley Braun as a chance for political change. She won the primary, but faced another tough opponent in Republican Richard Williamson. Williamson tried to capitalize on Moseley Braun’s mishandling of a tax situation. Although the scandal marred her campaign, she won the election, becoming the first African-American woman to win election to the U.S. Senate.

As a senator, Moseley Braun tackled many issues, including women's rights and civil rights. She served on several committees, including the powerful Senate Finance Committee. Moseley Braun continued to support educational reforms and called for more restrictive gun control laws. Her time in office, however, was affected by claims that she misused funds from her 1992 campaign, spending the money on personal expenses. While no charges were ever filed, this allegation clung to Moseley Braun as she sought re-election in 1998.