PAF 9199
David Hoffman
Omar Douce
8-5-15
Major Owens: A true community leader
Major Owens, a former politician, civil rights icon and librarian dedicated over a half
century of his life to improving the lives of others. Some of the issue that were dear to Major
Owens included education, community development, minimum wage, gun control and
healthcare. Major Owens was one of the most progressive members to ever represent Congress.
He was someone who believed that education was essential to getting ahead in life. Education
was without question the biggest issue Major Owens advocated for. He said in regards to
education. “Proper nurturing of and attention to the educational process will achieve a positive
domino reaction which will benefit employment and economic development.… The greater the
education, the lesser the victimization by drugs, alcoholism, and swindles.… We have to believe
that all power and progress really begins with education.”i
There were many people I could have written about that inspired to get involve in public
service. However, if there was one person who helped me shaped my perception of public
service was Major Owens. While attending Medgar Evers College, I took various courses in
Public Administration but two coursse that gave a real insight on how public policy works was
called public bureaucracy and intro to public policy. The person who taught that course was
none other than Major Owens himself. What I did not know at the time he was used represent
NY 11th now the 9th Congressional District which comprised of Bed-stuy, crown heights,
Midwood and East Flatbush. I’ll give a brief biography on Major Owens and some of the things
he accomplished during his time in Congress.
Major Owens was born in Collierville, Tennessee, on June 28, 1936 during the New Deal
Era. He received his BA degree from Morehouse College and MA in library science at Atlanta
University. In the late 1950’s to the mid-1960’s he served a librarian in the Brooklyn Public
Library. During that time he became involved with Brooklyn chapter of Congress of Racial
Equality (CORE). During the early years of then NYC Mayor John Lindsay second term, he was
appointed commissioners of community development agency which he was charge of antipoverty programs. In 1974, he was elected to the New York State and served on the finance and
social services committee. In 1982, Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman
elected to Congress and to run for President on a major party ticket decided to retire. After a
bitter contest for the primary, he won the general election with ease. ii
While in Congress Major Owens was known to get “raps” on the House floor. He gave
these raps to highlight some of the issues that were important. Here is one example. This one is
called “The Nation Needs Your Lunch” iiiwhich talked about the newly controlled GOP in 1995
cutting school lunches.
Kids of America
There is a fiscal crunch
This great nation
Now needs your lunch
To set
The budget right
Go hungry
For one night
Don’t eat
What we could save
Be brave
Patriots stand out
Above the bunch
Some of the key legislation that Major Owens sponsored or provided a key vote would include
the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) which is a civil rights that protect disable from
discrimination and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act, which provided major reforms to the
long–established Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program. Major Owens retired in
2007 after serving two dozen in Congress and became an Adjunct Professor at Medgar Evers
College until his death on October, 28, 2013. He taught hundreds of students included myself
and gave us insight on public policy is achieved. He famously stated that A students have a hard
time running government because C students run the world. He cited Bill Clinton and Barack
Obama as decent examples as they were very gifted politicians convincing the American people
to get their agendas passed early in their terms.
When the former passed away in late 2013, New York lost a champion for the modern cause.
Major Owens was not only brilliant, but tenacious outspoken, bold compassionate. When I met
for the first time as student, I had no idea how he accomplish during his lifetime and the
contributions he made to New York City and to a lesser extent America. When he started
serving Congress in the early 1980’s the Democratic Party was on the ropes. Ronald Reagan’s
Revolution to fundamentally change the United States was taking shape which he philosophy
that government was to solution to our nation problems. However, there were few people
willing to stand up to Reagan and Major Owens was one of them. If there’s one man who
deserve to have his name a statewide holiday, it would be Major Owens. His record of public
service and his commitment to improving the lives of millions of New York speaks for itself. So
I call upon City Council to draft legislation making June 28 Major Owens Day and what better
place than to declare that day at Medgar Evers College, the first historically black college in New
York. I’ll leave you with this saying from the late Congressman. “You have no power at all if
you do not exercise constant power.”
i
Quoted in “Major Owens,” Contemporary Black Biography,Volume 6 (Detroit, MI: Gale Research Inc., 1994)
(hereinafter referred to as CBB).
ii
Bernstien, Alice. "JMajor Owens Interview." JMajor Owens Interview. 28 June 2015. Web. 6 Aug. 2015.
iii
Owens, Major CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Extensions of Remarks April 4, 1995. Retrieved August 5, 2015