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Biography

Now in her fifth term serving Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick’s hard work and thoughtful political style have earned her the confidence and respect of her peers, who have appointed her to the powerful House Appropriations Committee. She is the only Michigan Democrat on this important committee, which authorizes spending for all levels of the federal government.

As a member of the Transportation, Treasury and Independent Agencies Committee, and the Foreign Operations Subcommittees of the Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman Kilpatrick plays an integral role in determining the funding of important programs such as the United States Highway System, Peace Corps, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Agency for International Development.

Congresswoman Kilpatrick has also taken a special interest in leveling the playing field for minority-owned and minority-targeted media outlets and advertising firms that face discrimination from major advertisers. She has hosted highly successful forums on trends in advertising and has convened a panel of high profile industry experts to examine the issue. The Congresswoman was a leading force in the successful effort to secure a Presidential Executive Order compelling all federal agencies to increase their contractual opportunities with minority businesses. Congresswoman Kilpatrick has brought a successful NASA engineering and aeronautics program to the 13th Congressional District for K-12 students. The Congresswoman worked with Fannie Mae to secure $18 million in home mortgages for moderate income families.

Her colleagues and other Capitol Hill observers have taken note of Congresswoman Kilpatrick’s leadership skills. She was selected to serve as the first Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus’ Political Action Committee. This year she was elected as the 2nd Vice-Chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus. The Capitol Hill newspaper “Roll Call” named Kilpatrick to its list of future Capitol Hill leaders. Congresswoman Kilpatrick has been appointed to the prestigious United States Air Force Academy Board which oversees the programs of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Congresswoman Kilpatrick is the first African-American Member of Congress to serve on the Board.

Born and raised in Detroit, Congresswoman Kilpatrick did her undergraduate work at Ferris State University and received a Bachelor’s Degree from Western Michigan University. The Congresswoman also received a Masters Degree from the University of Michigan. She later taught business education in Detroit Public Schools. In 1978, she was elected to the Michigan State House and served there for 18 years. She was the first African-American woman to serve on the Michigan House Appropriations Committee.

Congresswoman Kilpatrick is the mother of two children: daughter Ayanna and son Kwame, who was elected to fill his mother’s former State House seat in 1996. Kwame Kilpatrick went on to become Michigan’s youngest-ever and first African-American State House Democratic Leader. In 2001, he was elected Mayor of Detroit. Congresswoman Kilpatrick is grandmother of five grandsons.

Revised January, 2005