Black lobbyists crucial to the influence of Black communities on capitol hill

Lovely Reza Clifton, of Reza Rites, has just had an article published in Black Enterprise. The piece explores the effect that a Democratic majority on capitol hill has had on the lobbying community, which the Washington Post called overwhelmingly white as recently as 2006. It makes me think of the long tradition of activism in the African-American community and specifically about how groups like the Black Panthers paved the way for the (quote on quote) legitimate Black connectors in Washington DC:

For African Americans on Capitol Hill, the networking community recently expanded. The 2006 elections brought about a Democratic majority in the Congress, and openings in Congressional committee and subcommittee leadership seats were filled by ranking African Americans. Several black leaders now hold powerful positions: Congressional Black Caucus founder and former CBC chair Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), and Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), just to name a few.

In response to these open ears, a crop of hungry and talented black lobbyists have sprung up, ranging from consultants and in-house lobbyists to entrepreneurs. Stephanie Jones, executive director of the National Urban League Institute and a lobbyist on the organization’s behalf, says firms often employ lawyers who lobby on behalf of various clients, or who represent them on the hill. Other lobbyists, such as Jones, work from within organizations, sometimes as government relations employees.