AAAED 47th National Conference Logo

Drum Major for Justice Honoree Eddie Bernice Johnson

Members in front of the US Capitol

Texas Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson will be honored for her extraordinary contributions to social justice on Oct. 15th

The Drum Major for Justice is the highest award the association confers. The Award is a special acknowledgement of the extraordinary contributions that an organization or individual, including a public servant or one who has held an elective office or appointment to public service, has made to the cause of access, equity and diversity. Previous recipients include Rep. Bobby Scott (2020), Indiana Rep. Gregory W. Porter (2019), Rev. Dr. CT Vivian (2018), Dr. Shirley A Jackson (2017), U.S. Rep. G. K. Butterfield (2016), and U.S. Representatives August F. Hawkins and Parren Mitchell (deceased) (2008).

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson is serving her 15th term representing the 30th Congressional District of Texas. Congresswoman Johnson is the first African-American and woman to chair the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and is the Dean of the Texas Congressional delegation in addition to serving as Dean of the Texas, New Mexico and Arizona Democratic Congressional Delegation. Congresswoman Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the first nurse to be elected to the U.S. Congress.

Congresswoman Johnson began her career as the first female African-American Chief Psychiatric Nurse at the V.A. Hospital in Dallas. In 1972, she became the first nurse ever elected to the Texas State House and achieved that that same distinction upon her election to the Texas Senate in 1986. From 2011 to 2018, she served as the Science, Space and Technology Committee’s first African-American and first female Ranking Member.

She is the founder of the Diversity & Innovation Caucus, the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Homelessness Caucus, co-chair of the Congressional Lupus Caucus, and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus of Bosnia. Congresswoman Johnson had the honor to serve as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus during the 107th Congress. Her acclaimed initiative, A World of Women for World Peace, has gained national and international recognition.

The AAAED 47th National Conference and Annual Meeting is open to the press. For more information or to register for the Conference, go to: https://www.aaaed.org/aaaed/Conference_Agenda1.asp.
To purchase a ticket for the awards ceremony, click here: https://www.aaaed.org/aaaed/Sponsorship.asp

Founded in 1974 as the American Association for Affirmative Action (AAAA), AAAED is a national not-for-profit association of professionals working in the areas of equal opportunity, compliance and diversity. AAAED has 47 years of leadership in providing professional training to members, enabling them to be more successful and productive in their careers. It also promotes understanding and advocacy of affirmative action and other equal opportunity laws to enhance the tenets of access, inclusion and equality in employment, economic and educational opportunities. AAAED is the longest-serving organization for the Equal Opportunity Profession. Its tagline is “Advocate. Educate. Activate.”

Shirley Wilcher AAAED
American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity
+1 240-893-9475
execdir@aaaed.org
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

AAAED Video "We Are a Community"