Patricia Robert Harris - What a Phenomenal Woman!
Patricia Robert Harris
1924 – 1985
Patricia Roberts was born on May 31, 1924, in Mattoon, Illinois, the daughter of railroad dining car waiter Bert Fitzgerald Roberts and Hildren Brodie. She had one younger brother, Malcolm, known to his family as Mickey. Her parents separated when she was 6 years old, after which she was raised primarily by her mother and grandmother, attending public school in Chicago, IL.
Patricia excelled academically and won a scholarship to Howard University, graduating in 1945. She married in 1955, and at her husband’s urging entered law school. She earned her law degree from George Washington University and was admitted to the District of Columbia Bar to practice before the United States Supreme Court. Patricia Roberts Harris was dedicated to public service, civil rights and the promotion of social justice. A woman of many firsts, she was the first Black woman to serve the nation as Ambassador, the first Black woman to become dean of a law school, and the first Black woman to serve in a Presidential cabinet.
She broke many barriers of her time. Most notably, she was the first African American woman to serve in a Presidential Cabinet. She served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Carter. Prior to that, President Kennedy appointed her as co-chair of the National Women’s Committee for Civil Rights. Harris wasn’t one to shy away from a challenge and worked firsthand toward achieving housing equality. She was a pioneer who left a strong legacy, particularly for Black women.
Source: National Women’s Hall of Fame
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