Congressman Clyburn to speak at Rust College Nov. 12

Congressman James E. Clyburn, assistant Democratic leader in the United States House of Representatives and Chairman of the Democratic Faith Working Group, will be the keynote speaker at 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 12, at Rust College’s Founders’ Convocation, held at the Doxey Morehouse Auditorium at 11 a.m. Rust College celebrates 157 years during Founder’s Week, Nov. 512.

Robert M. Dixon, interim president of Rust College, said the college is honored to have Congressman Clyburn to speak.

“Congressman Clyburn is a distinguished public servant who has served in Congress for over 25 years,” Dixon said. “He has been a champion for civil rights, economic development, and education, and we are honored to have him speak at our convocation.”

Clyburn previously served in the post from 2011 to 2018 and served as Majority Whip, assistant leader of the House, from 2007 to 2010 and 2019 to 2022, making him the first African American to serve multiple terms.

A native son of South Carolina, he has represented the state’s Sixth Congressional District since 1993.

The congressman’s humble beginnings began in Sumter, South Carolina, as the eldest son of an activist, fundamentalist minister, and an independent, civic-minded beautician, grounded him securely in family, faith, and public service.

A 1961 graduate of South Carolina State, he began his professional career as a public school teacher in Charleston, SC. He later served as an employment counselor and director of two youth and community development programs. In 1971, he joined the staff of Governor John C. West, becoming the first African American advisor to a South Carolina governor.

In 1974, Governor West appointed Clyburn as South Carolina’s Human Affairs Commissioner, where he served until 1992, when he retired from state government to run for Congress.

Clyburn was elected to Congress in 1993, and was elected co-president of his freshman class. He was subsequently elected Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Vice Chair, and Chair of the House Democratic Caucus. From 2011 to 2018, he served as Assistant Democratic Leader. In addition to having served as Majority Whip, Congressman Clyburn also served as Chair of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis.

The congressman has led efforts to preserve and restore historic buildings on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) campuses. He sponsored legislation creating the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, the Congaree National Park, the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, and expanding the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site to South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and Washington, DC.

Clyburn is dedicated to making America’s greatness accessible and affordable for all citizens. In his 10-20-30 federal funding formula - it initially applied to three programs in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - has been expanded to 15 accounts of the appropriations bills. His Rural Energy Savings Program also provides loans to families and businesses to implement durable, costeffective energy efficiency measures. His “Accessible, Affordable Broadband for All” bill was included in the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill and is funded at a level of $65 billion.

He is a recipient of 36 honorary degrees and numerous awards that include the Lyndon Baines Johnson Liberty and Justice for All Award in 2015; the Harry S. Truman Foundation’s Good Neighbor Award in 2021; and the NAACP’s highest honor – the Spingarn Medal – in 2022. His endorsement of Joe Biden for president in 2020 is credited with boosting him to an overwhelming victory in the South Carolina and subsequent primaries and setting Biden on the path to the presidency.

Clyburn and his late wife, Emily England Clyburn, met as college student protestors in a Orangeburg, South Carolina jail in 1960. The encounter led to a 58-year marriage, and they became parents of three daughters, grandparents to four grandchildren, and greatgrandparents to one great-grandchild.

Rust College is the oldest, most prestigious historically black college in Mississippi. The historic collge is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate and baccalaureate degrees in business, education, humanities, science and mathematics, and social science degree programs.

For more information about Rust College, call (662) 252-8000, ext. 4915, cell (662) 544-0950, or visit www.rustcollege.edu.