Now in her third term serving Michigan's 15th 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 Subcommittee and the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee Congresswoman Kilpatrick plays an integral role in determining the funding of important programs such as highway projects and transportation programs throughout the United States, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Peace Corps, and programs for governments around the world.
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. She 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 also brought a successful NASA Engineering and Aeronautics program to Michigan for students in kindergarten through I2th grade. The program is housed at Wayne State University.
Her colleagues and other Capitol Hill observers have taken note of Congresswoman Kilpatrick's leadership skills. She has been selected to serve as the first chairwomen of the Congressional Black Caucus' Political Action Committee. The Capitol Hill newspaper "Roll Call" named Kilpatrick to its list of future Capitol Hill leaders.
Born and raised in Detroit, Congresswoman Kilpatrick was President of her graduating class at the city's High School of Commerce. She earned undergraduate degrees from Ferris State University and Western Michigan University and a Master's Degree in education from the University of Michigan. Before pursuing a career in public service Congresswoman Kilpatrick taught business education in the Detroit Public Schools. In 1978, she was elected to the Michigan State House and served there for 18 years. She was the first black 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 House Democratic Leader. In 2001, he was elected Mayor of the city of Detroit. Congresswoman Kilpatrick is grandmother of five grandsons.
