Former Congressman John Conyers Jr. passed away Sunday in his sleep at his home in Detroit at the age of 90.
Conyers was the longest serving African American member of Congress in U.S. history, representing parts of Detroit for more than 50 years before his resignation in 2017, following allegations that he sexually harassed several female staffers. He denied the allegations.
He was the third-longest-serving House member in U.S. history and the first African American to hold the title of dean.
“One of my most special memories was spending time with him at Gordon Park on 12th Street and Clairmount on the 50th anniversary of the violence of 1967 as he recounted the story of his courageous efforts to calm the angry crowds,” Mayor Mike Duggan said in a statement. “He has fought for a better Detroit for more than half a century. From co-founding the Congressional Black Caucus, to leading the fight in Congress, to enshrine Martin Luther King’s birthday as a national holiday, John Conyers’ impact on our city and nation will never be forgotten.”
During his 53 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Conyers built a reputation as a champion for civil and human rights. He was a political giant, and strong advocate for the African American community. He was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969, which promotes the legislative concerns of black and minority communities. During the infamous 1967 Detroit Riots, Conyers took to the streets on the first day of the riots, using a bullhorn in an attempt to encourage African Americans to go home. His district office in Detroit was gutted by fire the next day, but the plight of the nation’s inner cities would remain his cause.
“Congressman John Conyers was a lifelong Detroiter who was deeply committed to the city and to those he represented,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “His impact on our state, whether by spearheading reforms in criminal justice and voting rights in Congress or through his lifetime of civil rights activism, will not be forgotten.”
John James Conyers Jr. was born May 16, 1929 in Highland Park, Michigan to John Conyers Sr. and Lucille Simpson-Conyers. He was the eldest of four boys – John, Carl, Nathan, and William. His father was a union organizer in the automotive industry and an international representative with the UAW. Conyers attended Detroit Northwestern High School, graduating in 1947. He studied music in high school, but was told by his father to not become a musician.
In 1970, Conyers and his younger brother, Nathan, founded Conyers Ford (later Conyers Riverside Ford) in Detroit on the corner of West Grand Boulevard and 14thStreet.
After high school, Conyers served in the Michigan National Guard from 1948-1950; the U.S. Army from 1950-1954; and the U.S. Army Reserves from 1954-1957. He served for a year in Korea during the Korean War as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Conyers returned home to pursue a career in education at Wayne State University, earning two law degrees in 1957 and 1958. His political aspirations were honed while working as a legislative assistant from 1958-1961 to late U.S. Rep. John Dingell.
In 1964, Conyers set his eyes on Congress, running for an open seat in what was then the 1st District, defeating Republican Robert Blackwell with 84 percent of the vote. He took office January 3, 1965, serving for the next five decades, before resigning on December 5, 2017. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib was voted on as his successor.
“When I was elected to succeed Congressman Conyers, I knew that I would be following a legacy of a man who fought for the people, fought for his district, and never wavered in the fight for jobs, justice, and peace, “ Congresswoman Tlaib said. “Congressman Conyers was a fighter and he now joins the ancestors. May he rest in peace as we continue the fight he fought for so long.”
A congressional pioneer, Conyers fervently supported such liberal causes as gun control, anti-poverty programs, and universal health care. He held hearings to spotlight police misconduct and also supported legislation urging a study of the possibility of offering reparations to the descendants of slaves. Conyers fought for issues of civil rights and social justice, including modifying the mandatory sentences for those convicted of non-violent drug crimes, defending assaults on the Voting Rights Act, reforming laws that put juvenile offenders in prison for life, and calling for investigations into police brutality of African American men.
He went on to chair the House Judiciary Committee from 2007-2011 and led the powerful House Oversight Committee as chairman from 1989-1995.
In 1974, he sat on a panel that investigated President Richard Nixon and later voted to submit articles of impeachment. Nixon resigned shortly after.
Four days after the April 4, 1968 assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Conyers introduced a resolution calling for a national holiday in his name. It took 15 years for that legislative battle to be won, but Conyers persisted. He even got Stevie Wonder to dedicate his song “Happy Birthday” to MLK.
“He single-handedly fought for a King holiday,” Rev. Jesse Jackson tweeted. “He led the ground work. He is the reason for the Dr. King holiday.“
Unable to find work, Rosa Parks moved to Detroit in 1957. In 1965, Conyers hired her as a secretary and receptionist for his congressional office in Detroit. She held this position until she retired in 1988.
Conyers ran for mayor of his hometown Detroit in 1989 and 1993, but could not take down Mayor Coleman A. Young. The two had a war of words during the 1989 election.
“I’m surprised that John got in. Now that he is in, I’ll shoot at him like he’s a rabbit,” Mayor Young said during the 1989 election.”
Conyers is survived by his wife, Monica Conyers (Esters), and two sons, John III, and Carl. His wife served on Detroit City Council from 2005-2009 and became council president once Ken Cockrel succeeded Kwame Kilpatrick as mayor until a special election could be held.
After he resigned, the Congressman Conyers backed his son John III for his seat, but was thrown off the Democratic primary ballot for failing to gather enough valid signatures. His brother William’s grandson, Ian Conyers, also ran but was defeated in the Democratic primary by Rashida Tlaib.
“John Conyers Jr. Boulevard” is located in downtown Detroit.
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