Carol Moseley Braun
Amber Haywood
ASRC 3206 – Final Project
12/10/2019
Podcast: Carol Moseley Braun
Carol Moseley Braun is who I chose as my political leader. Moseley Braun grew up on the Southside of Chicago with her mother and father. Moseley Braun went to the University of Illinois, Chicago where she got her bachelor’s in political science and later she attended the University of Chicago for her law degree. She initially practiced private law until she ran for Illinois state representative where she served for a decade. Moseley Braun later served as the Recorder of Deeds for Cook County, the first Black person elected to a Cook County executive position. She later went on to achieve another first, as she was the first Black woman to serve in the Senate and the first woman to be elected to the Senate in Illinois. After her serving in the Senate, she was the ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. Upon returning to the states, in 2004 she was the second Black woman to run for the Democratic nomination for the President of the United States. In 2011, Moseley Braun placed fourth out of sixth in the Chicago mayoral election. She currently manages a business consulting company in Chicago.
My mother recommended me to look into Carol Moseley Braun because she was a woman of “firsts.” Moseley Braun’s name was familiar and it provided the opportunity to learn more about Chicago politics and the Black women who are involved. I chose Moseley Braun because she is a trailblazer in the political world and has forever carved a path for Black women to follow in. Moseley Braun, similar to other politicians, has been involved in scandals and misconduct in the past. Unlike other politicians, it became nearly impossible for her to bounce back from these scandals. I wanted to explore and highlight the harsh criticism face when others don’t. Despite the scandals, Moseley Braun still continues to influence American and more specifically Chicago politics.
I learned that there is still much progress to be done to get more Black women into political leadership. Due to the structure of politics and the savvy maneuvering that is required it has increased my appreciation of Black women in government. Between constant media coverage and tireless work, it’s easy to see why Carol Moseley Braun was the first Black woman senator, so recently, in the 1990s. Moreover, I have learned that leadership styles can fluctuate and change over time. Moseley Braun did not employ the same leadership style throughout her political career, which I think helped and hurt her. Initially, Moseley Braun was viewed as a political outsider, with true intentions to support the people of Illinois, in her race for senate and state representative. As time passed, Moseley Braun switched her framing to an insider to Chicago politics, which ended up hurting her as she ran for mayor of Chicago.
Overall, it was rewarding and enjoyable to learn more about Carol Moseley Braun, the state of Black women in politics and the many opportunities that are open to Black women.
