Julia May Carson (July 8, 1938 – December 15, 2007), born Julia May Porter who rose from a childhood of poverty and segregation to become the first African American and first woman to represent Indianapolis in Congress, died early Saturday morning, Dec. 15, 2007.
Carson was born to a single mother who worked as a housekeeper. She graduated in 1955from the same segregated high school as basketball star Oscar Robertson.
She began her political career in the 1960s when then-Rep. Andy Jacobs Jr. hired her to work in his office. Jacobs encouraged Carson to run for the Indiana Legislature in 1972 — the first of more than two dozen victories in local, legislative and congressional elections.
In 1990, Julia Carson successfully ran for election to the post of Center Township Trustee of Marion County. She did so against the advice of many who feared the political quagmire of a poor relief office that was $20 million in debt. However, Trustee Carson employed an aggressive workfare program and anti-fraud procedures to quickly erase the enormous debt while providing much needed emergency services to the poor of Indianapolis. Julia Carson’s fiscal acumen and management skill lead her to being named for the second time as the Indianapolis Star’s Woman of the Year. Her budget balancing feat earned bipartisan admiration, including that of Republican County Auditor John Von Arx, who said, "Julia Carson wrestled that monster to the ground."
She then ran for Congress in 1996 after Jacobs retired.
During her 11 years in Congress, Carson's highest-profile action came in 1999, when she pushed for the legislation granting the Congressional Gold Medal to Rosa Parks, the black woman who refused to give up her seat on a segregated city bus in Montgomery, Ala., and was arrested for her defiance.
Another notable achievement was a bill she cosponsored with Sen. Richard Lugar to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks on child health insurance.
In the 108th Congress, Rep. Carson is the sponsor of the largest Amtrak reauthorization bill, the National Defense Rail Act, which would provide the rail passenger system with over $40 billion in funds to develop high-speed rail corridors and aid in the development of short distance corridors between larger urban centers.
She is the sponsor of the Veteran's VOTE Act, a bill to ensure that all veterans have the right to vote after completing state or federal prison sentences.
Carson, a Democrat, was first elected to Congress in 1996. She championed children's issues, women's rights and efforts to reduce homelessness, and was a staunch opponent of the war in Iraq.
"Julia Carson overcame much and accomplished much, and devoted her life to helping other people do the same," Sen. Evan Bayh, an Indiana Democrat, said in a statement. "She was elected to important public offices, but never forgot who she was, where she came from or who she was there to serve."
Carson opposed the war in Iraq and told hundreds of people at a rally in downtown Indianapolis just weeks before the 2003 invasion that it was an act of aggression only to protect U.S. oil interests.
She said she believes that Congress blundered in 2002 when it ceded its war authority to the President without meaningful limits, a decision she voted against, and that she did not want to see that happen again.
She continued, "I continue to oppose the idea of sending more troops into Iraq and do not believe the President has clearly laid out the expectations or goals for our troops on the ground. Approximately 379 Billion dollars later we have zero combat ready troops and 100 percent of our active duty brigades have spent at least a year in Iraq or Afghanistan. We need to look at what has been done and change course, not continue to dig a deeper hole."
“The words and actions of this Congress do not add up to the reality of the war on terror. The leaked documents from our intelligence gathering organizations show that this ill-conceived war on terror has not done anything to prevent terrorism and actually created more terrorists. Meanwhile we are no closer to catching Osama Bin Laden than we were on September 10th, 2001. The idea that Republicans in the House of Representatives won’t even discuss this report is a sad reflection on the lengths they are willing to go to ignore the fact that they supported President Bush’s decision to go into the wrong war at the wrong time.”
"Truly, it is all in the name of greed and truly in the name of war," she said. "We should have learned by the Vietnam War, but we did not."
“47 million Americans are without meaningful access to healthcare and the President’s response to this crisis is a tax deduction? Americans do not make the choice to go without healthcare because their taxes are too high. They can’t afford healthcare because they need groceries, a roof over their heads or transportation to get to work. They don’t have healthcare because they are locked out due to pre-existing conditions. The President’s plan offers no means by which these people can get healthcare,” Ms. Carson said.
“This is a President who has repeatedly made promises to the country during his State of the Union speeches and repeatedly they have been broken. This is just another in a long line of promises. Last November the people spoke and said Congress and the President must live up to their duty of protecting our troops, take actual steps toward energy independence, and create a better healthcare system,” Ms. Carson explained. “What he has told us this evening doesn’t begin to do that. The nation deserves better.”
http://www.juliacarson.house.gov/iraq.oped.shtml
http://www.juliacarson.house.gov/8.20.07.shtml
http://www.house.gov/carson/press07/02.14.07.shtml
She was a true achiever & over-comer of much in her lifetime.
A woman who spent a lifetime scaling the barriers imposed by
poverty as well as by racism and sexism. She was also a tireless
hard worker, full of compassion with a pleasing sense of humor."
She was also a brave & gutsy true voice of "We The People"
And A True Noble Lady Of Peace, Justice & Human Rights.
Her Dedication & Her Life Was A Fantastic Wonderful
Insiration To All, & To All That She Was...
Even though she was elected to important public offices,
she never forgot who she was, where she came from or
who she was there to serve."
Once Again In Memoriam & Honor To Julia Carson -
A True Noble Lady Of Peace, Justice, Human Rights &
Of We The People. Thus After All Her Struggles &
Hard Work May She Finally Now Rest In Peace.
As Her Name Held Forver In The Whispered Winds Shall Last...
Heard In A Tender Melody Within An Eternal Symphony of Life.
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