Politics / Law
John Conyers
1929–2019 · politician, lawyer
Detroit's congressman for more than half a century (1965–2017), the longest-serving African American member of Congress and Rosa Parks's longtime employer.
- Born
Highland Park, Michigan- Died
Detroit, Michigan
aged 90- Birth name
- John James Conyers Jr.
- Detroit years
- 1929–2019
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
John Conyers was born in 1929 and raised in Detroit, the son of an autoworker and UAW organizer. After Northwestern High School he served in the Michigan National Guard and the Army in Korea, then earned his bachelor's and law degrees at Wayne State University and worked as counsel to Detroit-area union locals. Elected to Congress in 1964, he represented Detroit districts from 1965 until 2017, becoming dean of the House. He hired Rosa Parks for his Detroit office, where she worked from 1965 to 1988. A founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, he first proposed the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday bill days after King's assassination and later chaired the House Judiciary Committee. He ran twice for mayor of Detroit, in 1989 and 1993, without success. He resigned in December 2017 amid sexual harassment allegations and died at his Detroit home in 2019; his funeral was held at Greater Grace Temple.
Highlights
- U.S. representative from Detroit districts, 1965–2017
- Longest-serving African American member of Congress
- Co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus (1971)
- Introduced the first bill for a Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday (1968)
- Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, 2007–2011
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 3
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Studied here · 1940s
Northwestern High School
The West Side high school he graduated from before joining the National Guard in 1948.
Studied here · 1950s–1958
Wayne State University
He earned his B.A. (1957) and law degree (1958) here.
Related place · 2019
Greater Grace Temple
Northwest Detroit megachurch where his funeral was held on November 4, 2019.