Congressman James E. Clyburn

James E. (Jim) Clyburn, representing South Carolina's 6th congressional district since 1993, is the House Majority Whip and the third-ranking leader in the United States House of Representatives.

Congressman Clyburn began his professional career as a public school teacher in Charleston, South Carolina. Before being elected to Congress he directed two community development programs, served on the staff of a South Carolina Governor, and ran a state agency under four South Carolina Governors – two Democrats and two Republicans. His memoir, Blessed Experiences: Genuinely Southern, Proudly Black, was published by the University of South Carolina Press in 2015. It has been described ‎as a primer that should be read by every student interested in pursuing a career in public service.

His humble beginnings in Sumter, South Carolina as the eldest son of an activist, fundamentalist minister and an independent, civic minded beautician grounded Congressman Clyburn securely in family, faith and public service. He was elected president of his NAACP youth chapter at 12 years old, he helped organize many civil rights marches and demonstrations as a student leader at South Carolina State College, and he even met his wife Emily in jail following a student demonstration.

Congressman Clyburn played an outsized role in changing the nation’s political landscape in the 2018-midterm elections by engaging and energizing voters in districts all over America. Thanks to Congressman Clyburn, the 116 Congress looks more like America than at any time in our nation's history.