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Former
U.S.
Rep.
Carolyn
Cheeks
Kilpatrick
Dies at
80
HB Meeks
-
Editor-in-Chief
Tell Us
USA News
Network
ATLANTA,
GA -
Former
U.S.
Representative
Carolyn
Cheeks
Kilpatrick
passed
away on
October
7, 2025,
at the
age of
80, her
family
announced
Tuesday.
She died
in
Atlanta,
Georgia,
following
a long
illness.
Kilpatrick
was a
towering
figure
in
Michigan
politics
for more
than
three
decades,
building
a
remarkable
career
that
took her
from the
Detroit
public
school
system
to the
halls of
Congress.
Born on
June 25,
1945, in
Detroit,
she
graduated
from
Detroit
High
School
of
Commerce
before
pursuing
higher
education
with
determination.
She
earned a
bachelor's
degree
from
Ferris
State
University,
a Master
of Arts
from
Western
Michigan
University,
and a
Master
of
Science
from the
University
of
Michigan.
Her
career
began in
education,
working
as a
teacher
in the
Detroit
Public
Schools
from
1970 to
1978.
But her
passion
for
public
service
led her
into
politics,
and in
1978,
she was
elected
to the
Michigan
House of
Representatives.
This
marked
the
beginning
of an
extraordinary
political
journey.
She
served
nine
consecutive
terms in
the
state
legislature,
where
she
broke
barriers
as the
first
Black
woman to
sit on
Michigan's
appropriations
committee.
In 1996,
Kilpatrick
successfully
challenged
incumbent
Barbara-Rose
Collins
for a
U.S.
House
seat
representing
a
portion
of
Detroit.
She went
on to
represent
Michigan's
15th and
later
13th
congressional
districts
from
1997 to
2011,
serving
seven
terms as
a
Democratic
congresswoman.
Her
political
acumen
was
recognized
early in
her
congressional
tenure
when she
was
assigned
to the
prestigious
House
Appropriations
Committee
in only
her
second
term,
where
she
worked
tirelessly
to
direct
federal
resources
to her
constituents.
Kilpatrick's
leadership
extended
beyond
legislation.
She made
history
as the
first
chairwoman
of the
Congressional
Black
Caucus
Political
Action
Committee
during
the
109th
Congress,
and
later
served
as
chairwoman
of the
Congressional
Black
Caucus
itself
during
the
110th
Congress
from
2007 to
2009. In
these
roles,
she was
a
powerful
advocate
for
African
American
communities
and
issues
of
racial
justice.
Throughout
her
congressional
career,
Kilpatrick
was
known as
a fierce
advocate
for
Detroit,
fighting
to
secure
federal
funding
for
urban
development,
education,
and
infrastructure
projects
that
would
benefit
her
hometown.
Her
family
described
her as
"a
tireless
warrior
for the
city of
Detroit
and an
unwavering
champion
for her
constituents."
Her
political
career
came to
an end
in
August
2010
when she
lost the
Democratic
primary
election
to
Hansen
Clarke,
who
replaced
her in
January
2011.
Her
final
years in
Congress
were
complicated
by the
criminal
scandals
surrounding
her son,
Kwame
Kilpatrick,
who
served
as
Detroit's
mayor
from
2002 to
2008
before
resigning
amid
corruption
charges.
Despite
these
challenges,
Carolyn
Kilpatrick
maintained
her
focus on
serving
her
district.
Kilpatrick's
legacy
encompasses
more
than 30
years of
breaking
barriers
and
fighting
for
Detroit
and
Michigan
residents.
She was
a
pioneer
who
opened
doors
for
women
and
African
Americans
in
Michigan
politics,
serving
as an
inspiration
to
future
generations
of
public
servants.
She is
survived
by her
two
children,
including
daughter
Ayanna.
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