George Thomas "Mickey" Leland III (November 27, 1944 – August 7, 1989) was an anti-poverty activist who later became a

congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivale ...

from the

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

18th District and chair of the

Congressional Black Caucus The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is a caucus made up of most African-American members of the United States Congress. Representative Karen Bass from California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the P ...

. He was a Democrat.

Early years

Leland was born in

Lubbock Lubbock ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat, seat of government of Lubbock County, Texas, Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also ...

to Alice and George Thomas Leland, II. At a very early age, the Lelands moved to Houston's Fifth Ward neighborhood. Growing up in a predominantly African American and Hispanic neighborhood, Leland attended Wheatley High School in Houston, Texas,Distinguished HISD Alumni
," ''

Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby ...

'' where he ranked in the top ten percent of his class when he graduated from Wheatley in 1964. While attending

Texas Southern University Texas Southern University (Texas Southern or TSU) is a public historically black university in Houston, Texas. The university is one of the largest and most comprehensive historically black college or universities in the USA with nearly 10,00 ...

in the late 1960s, he emerged as a vocal leader of the Houston-area civil rights movement and had brought national leaders of the movement to Houston. Leland graduated from Texas Southern in 1970 with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

Pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...

. He served as an Instructor of Clinical Pharmacy at his alma mater in 1970–71, where he set up "door-to-door" outreach campaigns in low-income neighborhoods to inform people about their medical care options and performing preliminary screenings. It was during the administration of then-Texas Southern University President Leonard O. Spearman, where Leland received an honorary doctorate degree from his alma mater.

Texas House of Representatives

In 1972, Texas for the first time allowed its State

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

and

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...

seats to be elected as single-member districts. Soon after the decision, five minority candidates (dubbed the "People's Five"), including eventual winners Leland, Craig Washington and

Benny Reyes Ben Torres Reyes (born February 16, 1947),
" ''

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abou ...

, a first for a state that had not seen any

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

state representatives since Reconstruction although

Barbara Jordan Barbara Charline Jordan (February 21, 1936 – January 17, 1996) was an American lawyer, educator, and politician. A Democrat, she was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first Southern Africa ...

had been a state senator. Re-elected in 1974 and again in 1976, Leland served three two-year terms in the Texas House of Representatives, representing the 88th District and while in Austin, he became famous for being a staunch advocate of healthcare rights for poor Texans. He was responsible for the passage of legislation that provided low-income consumers with access to affordable generic drugs, and supported the creation of healthcare access through

Health Maintenance Organizations In the United States, a health maintenance organization (HMO) is a medical insurance group that provides health services for a fixed annual fee. It is an organization that provides or arranges managed care for health insurance, self-funded heal ...

(HMOs). In order to accomplish his goals in Austin, Leland served on the Texas State Labor Committee, the State Affairs Committee, the Human Resources Committee, the Legislative Council, and the Subcommittee on Occupational and Industrial Safety. He was elected the Vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee on Prison Reform including becoming the first African-American to serve on the Senate–House Conference Committee as a member of the

House Appropriations Committee The United States House Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives that is responsible for passing appropriation bills along with its Senate counterpart. The bills passed by the Appropriations Comm ...

U.S. House of Representatives

After six years in the Texas State Legislature, Leland was elected to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

in November 1978 to represent Texas's 18th District and was re-elected easily in 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986 and again in 1988 to six two-year terms, serving until his death. The congressional district included the neighborhood in which he had grown up, and he was recognized as a knowledgeable advocate for health, children and the elderly. His leadership abilities were immediately noticed in Washington, and he was named to serve as Freshman Majority Whip in his first term, and later served twice as At-Large Majority Whip. Leland was re-elected to each succeeding Congress until his death. Leland was an effective advocate on hunger and public health issues. In 1984, Leland established the congressional select committee on Hunger and initiated a number of programs designed to assuage the famine crises that plagued

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the Er ...

and Sudan through much of the 1980s. Leland pioneered many afro-centric cultural norms in Washington which included wearing a

dashiki The dashiki is a colorful garment that covers the top half of the body, worn mostly in West Africa. It is also known as a Kitenge in East Africa and is a common item of clothing in Tanzania and Kenya. It has formal and informal versions and vari ...

and African-style hats. As he visited soup kitchens and makeshift shelters, he became increasingly concerned about the hungry and homeless. The work for which he is best remembered began when Leland co-authored legislation with U.S. Rep.

Ben Gilman Benjamin Arthur Gilman (December 6, 1922 – December 17, 2016) was an American politician and Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Middletown, New York, from January 3, 1973, to January 3, 2003. Early life Gilm ...

(R-New York State) in establishing the House Select Committee on Hunger. U.S. Speaker of the House

Tip O'Neill Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr. (December 9, 1912 – January 5, 1994) was an American politician who served as the 47th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, representing northern Boston, Massachusetts, as ...

(D-Massachusetts) named Leland chairman when it was enacted in 1984. The Select Committee's mandate was to "conduct a continuing, comprehensive study and review of the problems of hunger and malnutrition." Although the committee had no legislative jurisdiction, the committee for the first time provided a single focus for hunger-related issues. The committee's impact and influence would stem largely from Leland's ability to generate awareness of complex hunger alleviation issues and exert his personal moral leadership. In addition to focusing attention on issues of hunger, his legislative initiatives would create the National Commission on Infant Mortality, better access for fresh food for at-risk women, children and infants, and the first comprehensive services for the homeless. Leland's sensitivity to the immediate needs of poor and hungry people would soon make him a spokesperson for hungry people on a far broader scale. Reports of acute famine in sub-Saharan Africa immediately prompted Speaker O'Neill to ask Leland to lead a bipartisan Congressional delegation to assess conditions and relief requirements. When Leland returned, he brought together entertainment personalities, religious leaders and private voluntary agencies to create general public support for the Africa Famine Relief and Recovery Act of 1985. That legislation provided $800 million in food and humanitarian relief supplies. The international attention Leland had focused on the famine brought additional support for non-governmental efforts, saving thousands of lives. His ability in reaching out to others with innovative ideas and to gain support from unlikely sources was a key to his success in effectively addressing the problems for the poor and minorities. He met with both Pope

John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

about food aid to Africa and Cuban President

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 2 ...

about reuniting Cuban families. In Moscow, as part of the first Congressional delegation led by a Speaker of the House as part of the post-Cold War Era, he proposed a joint US-Soviet food initiative to

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Mala ...

. As Chairman of the

, Leland proudly presented the first awards the caucus had ever given to non-black recipients: rock musician

Bob Geldof Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof (; born 5 October 1951) is an Irish singer-songwriter, and political activist. He rose to prominence in the late 1970s as lead singer of the Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats, who achieved popularity as part of ...

and news anchor

Ted Koppel Edward James Martin Koppel (born February 8, 1940) is a British-born American broadcast journalist, best known as the anchor for '' Nightline'', from the program's inception in 1980 until 2005. Before ''Nightline'', he spent 20 years as a broad ...

. Geldof was honored for his Band Aid concert and fund-raising efforts for African famine victims, while Koppel was honored for his news stories on the African famine. Leland was a powerful advocate on other major issues as well. While chairing the House Select Committee on Hunger, Leland was a member of the

Committee on Energy and Commerce A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...

, and the Subcommittees on Telecommunications and Finance, Health and the Environment, and Energy and Power. He chaired the Subcommittee on Postal Operations and Services and served on the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service and the Subcommittee on Compensation and Employment.

Death

On August 7, 1989, Leland died in a

plane crash An aviation accident is defined by the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft, which takes place from the time any person boards the aircraft with the ''intention of fl ...

in Gambela,

, during a mission to Fugnido, Ethiopia. A total of 15 people died in the crash. Leland‘s friend and former fellow Texas legislator, Craig Washington, was elected to his unexpired congressional term in December 1989.

Personal life

Leland was

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

Legacy

Since Leland's death, a number of buildings and initiatives have been renamed in his honor: * A federal building in

Downtown Houston Downtown is the largest central business district in the city of Houston and the largest in the state of Texas, located near the geographic center of the metropolitan area at the confluence of Interstate 10, Interstate 45, and Interstate 69. The ...

(which currently serves as the congressional headquarters for his most recent successor, Congresswoman

Sheila Jackson Lee Sheila Jackson Lee (born January 12, 1950) is an American lawyer and politician who is the U.S. representative for , having served since 1995. The district includes most of central Houston. She is a member of the Democratic Party, and served ...

) * The International Terminal (Terminal D) at

George Bush Intercontinental Airport George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an international airport in Houston, Texas, United States, serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Located about north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and Interstate 69/ U.S. Highwa ...

Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...

* A street in

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, ...

* A condominium village in

* The

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible f ...

Leland Initiative to improve

internet connectivity Internet access is the ability of individuals and organizations to connect to the Internet using computer terminals, computers, and other devices; and to access services such as email and the World Wide Web. Internet access is sold by Internet ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

* The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’
Mickey Leland Environmental Internship Program
* The Department of Energy's Minority Education Initiative was renamed the Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship * A large number of other government programs, fellowships, and academic organizations have also been named in his memory. * Singer-songwriter Pierce Pettis included a song about Leland on his 1991 album ''Tinseltown''. * The

Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men (MLCPA), originally Young Men's College Preparatory Academy at E. O. Smith (YMCPA), is a university preparatory secondary school for boys in the Fifth Ward, Houston, Texas. It is a part of ...

in Houston * The Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University. *

So Others Might Eat So Others Might Eat (SOME) is a nonprofit organization that provides services to assist those dealing with poverty and homelessness in Washington, D.C. The organization provides affordable housing, job training, counseling and other healthcare ...

's Leland Place is a 90-day transitional housing program for 23 homeless men in recovery, located in Washington, DC. There is a statue on Leland in Hermann Park, Houston, near the

Miller Outdoor Theatre Miller Outdoor Theatre is an outdoor theater for the performing arts in Houston, Texas. It is located on approximately of land in Hermann Park, at 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77030. The theater offers a wide range of professional ...

References

Videos

(1) Arrival Ceremony for Leland on August 23, 198

(2) Memorial Service for Congressman Leland on August 14, 198

(3) Reaction on the Leland plane crash from August 13, 198

(4) Update on Leland fatal plane crash from August 13, 198

(5) Call-in session on the resignation of House Speaker Jim Wright from May 31, 198

(6) Congressional Black Caucus from May 23, 198

(7) Black Jewish Relations from April 11, 198

(8) Judaism Foreign Policy from April 11, 198

(9) Nominating Speeches at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, Georgia from July 21, 198

(10) Hiring & Promotion Cable TV & Broadcast Industry from May 17, 198

(11) Program Trading Stock Market Volatility from April 21, 198

(12) Telephone Rate Regulation from November 10, 198

(13) World Hunger from October 14, 198

(14) Iran-Contra Investigation Day 1 from May 5, 198

(15) South African Sanction Veto Override from September 29, 198

(16) 1986 Election Briefing from August 14, 198

(17) Scrambling Satellite Television from June 12, 198

(18) Jim Wright Roast on May 13, 198

(19) Mickey Leland Interview from December 16, 198

(20) Employment Issues from July 10, 198

(21) William Reynolds Nomination from June 5, 198

(22) Black Hispanic Breakfast from July 18, 198

(23) Minority Caucus from July 18, 198

(24) Broadcast Reform from October 6, 198

(25) Broadcast Reform from September 23, 198

(26) Minorities in the Media from September 19, 198

(27) GM Car Brake Defects from August 5, 198

External links

*
Mickey Leland Center – The repository of Congressman Leland's Archives, legislative papers, and documentsMickey Leland Center on World Hunger and Peace at Texas Southern University – Social Networking Page

Biography of Mickey Leland (Texas Southern University)

* ttp://www.fossil.energy.gov/education/lelandfellowships/ Mickey Leland Energy Fellowships at the U.S. DOE
Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellowship Program at the Congressional Hunger Center
* , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Leland, Mickey 1944 births 1989 deaths 20th-century American politicians African-American members of the United States House of Representatives African-American state legislators in Texas American anti-poverty advocates Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas People from Houston People from Lubbock, Texas Texas Southern University alumni Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Ethiopia Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1989 20th-century African-American politicians African-American Catholics