Congresswoman Robin Kelly is making a difference in Washington, not only for her immediate constituents, but her leadership is touching the lives of all of us. As Congresswoman Kelly prepares to attend this year’s Congressional Black Caucus, South Side Drive had the opportunity to talk to her about her politics, her policies and what she is doing to help bring about a brighter future for us all.
SOUTH SIDE DRIVE: Can you tell us a little about yourself, why you decided to pursue a political career?
ROBIN KELLY: I grew up in New York City, the child of hard-working parents. My dad’s family were grocers, and for a time, my dad managed the family business before moving on to manage larger stores. My mother was a dedicated public servant and worked in our local post office for many years. From an early age, they taught me the value of hard work and perseverance which has served me to this day. As a young psychology major at Bradley University, I found career paths that could help me advocate for children and address the root causes of challenges in our communities. I never hoped to be a politician, I wanted to be a public servant. I have always looked up to Shirley Chisolm who took her duty as a public servant so seriously, and never wavered in the face of discrimination and opposition.
SOUTH SIDE DRIVE: Who were your mentors and who influenced you to pursue a career in politics?
ROBIN KELLY: It is often said that women need to be convinced much more than men to run for office, I was no exception. Five men convinced me to run for the Illinois House, and I was lucky enough to be elected in 2002. While serving in Springfield, I was tapped to serve as the first Black Chief of Staff for an Illinois constitutional officer when State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias asked me to serve as his Chief of Staff. In 2013, I was elected to Congress in a special election, I ran because too many people in our communities are victims of senseless gun violence. It is a privilege to represent my community in Congress every day.
SOUTH SIDE DRIVE: Black women play an important part in Chicago politics, as well as education and health. As co-chair of the Caucus on Black women and girls, what is your vision for reaching Black girls at an elementary and high school and college level and preparing them for leadership roles?
ROBIN KELLY: As co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls, a key priority of mine has been the Protect Black Women and Girls Act which would establish an interagency task force on Black women and girls to identify programs and recommend incentives to support access to quality education, jobs, healthcare, justice, and housing for Black women and girls. Faced with the oppression of both sexism and racism, Black women and girls often confront unique and disproportionate barriers to educational opportunities, wage growth and maternal care. This bill would be a vital step toward addressing these injustices.
I also have a Task Force on Black Women and Girls through my Congressional office which reaches Black women and girls of all ages and identifies resources to help achievee their dreams through education, job opportunities, and taking charge of their health. I encourage everyone to reach out to my office and get involved in these efforts.
SOUTH SIDE DRIVE MAGAZINE: The Congressional Black Caucus is coming up, and many organizations are hoping Reparations will be on the agenda. What is your stance on Reparations, and what will be the focus of the CBC
ROBIN KELLY: In 2021, I co-sponsored Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act. The Congressional Black Caucus is focused on ensuring that systemic racism, which Black Americans face daily, is eradicated.
Reparations are one front in that fight, we need to ensure that Black Americans have the freedom and the opportunity to live out our dreams. The Congressional Black Caucus is focused on taking whatever action we can to ensure political, social, and economic equality for Black Americans.
SOUTH SIDE DRIVE MAGAZINE: What do you think are the most pressing issues facing Chicago and specifically your district right now?
ROBIN KELLY: My district is urban, suburban, and rural, and one of the things I hear across my district is the need for accessible health care, particularly maternal health. Every year, across the United States, nearly 4,000,000 women give birth, more than 1,000 women suffer fatal complications during pregnancy while giving birth or during the postpartum period, and about 70,000 women suffer near-fatal, partum-related complications.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. As chair of the Black Caucus Health Brain trust, and co-chair of the bipartisan Maternity Care Caucus, I am working to pass solutions to these problems, so that mothers in the Second Congressional District and across our nation get the care they need.
SOUTH SIDE DRIVE MAGAZINE: As co-chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, what are you and your Congressional colleagues doing to mitigate gun violence in our communities?
ROBIN KELLY: Last Congress, I worked with my colleagues to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act; the most substantial gun safety legislation in over thirty years to combat gun violence in our communities. This legislation made important progress in closing loopholes and providing communities with the resources they need to prevent violence.
However, this legislation did not go nearly far enough. I have always said that we need to treat gun violence like the public health crisis that is it. This Congress, I was proud to reintroduce the Gun Violence as a Public Health Emergency Act, which would direct the federal government to produce an annual report on gun violence, its public health effects, and action taken by the federal government.
SOUTH SIDE DRIVE MAGAZINE: What other measures, have you enacted to aid violence prevention?
ROBIN KELLY: Have always said that nothing stops a bullet like an opportunity. Alongside Senators Durbin and Duckworth, I introduced the Helping to Encourage Real Opportunity (HERO) for Youth Act and the Assisting in Developing (AID) Youth Employment Act to direct federal resources to ensure that our young have employment opportunities to support themselves, strengthen their communities, and live out their dreams.
My office also submits Community Project Funding Requests each year, to bring federal funding to our local communities. Last year, I secured $120,000 for the Orchid Healing Circles for Victims of Gun Violence and $1,500,000 for enhanced public safety improvements in Harvey, IL – these are just two of over a dozen projects for which I secured federal funds.
SOUTH SIDE DRIVE MAGAZINE: How can your local constituents help move important national issues forward?
ROBIN KELLY: While the decisions we make in Washington get a great deal of attention, the actions taken at the local level in our communities are incredibly important. Attend your local city council or county board meetings, serve on your neighborhood council, and volunteer for a local cause that you’re passionate about. Of course, you can always contact my office for more ways to get involved and make progress.
SOUTH SIDE DRIVE MAGAZINE: You have been a strong proponent of family values, what measures do you foresee going forward in helping to strengthen the family unit among Chicagoans, and specifically your constituents?
ROBIN KELLY: As a mother and grandmother, I am a passionate believer in investing in the success of our next generation and leaving behind safer communities and greater economic opportunities for all. Far too many families in my district are losing loved ones to the gun violence crisis. These losses generate a collective trauma that stays with our families and communities for generations.
The best way to protect families is to end the gun violence epidemic in our nation.
