Former Congressman John Conyers passes away
DETROIT - Detroit Police have confirmed that former Congressman John Conyers passed away in his home Sunday. He was 90.For more than 50-years, the Highland Park native proudly served as a member of the US House of Representatives.
Conyers began serving his county back in 1948, first with the Michigan National Guard then with the US Army.
In 1963, Conyers focused his attention on the Civil Rights Movement, taking part in the voter's registration drive in Selma Alabama.
Detroit Police have confirmed that former Congressman John Conyers passed away in his home Sunday. He was 90.
"I've been in the civil rights movement, before I was in the political movement," Conyers said.
One year later, his tenure in the US Congress began. Conyers defeated Republican Robert Blackwell with 84% of the vote.
In the middle of Conyers' second term, Detroit was at a breaking point. Riots broke out in the Summer of 1967 after words spread of excessive force by police against African Americans.
The crowds grew larger and Conyers said he took to the streets, with hopes of directing the people's rage into a more positive direction.
He continued to make a name for himself in the Civil Rights Movement. He is responsible for introducing the bill that would make Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday.
At the end of his tenure, Conyers served 53-years in office making him the longest serving African American in congressional history.
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