Rep. Shomari Figures remembers Alexis Herman on House floor
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Herman died on Friday, April 25. She was 77 years old.
Herman served as the first African American U.S. Labor Secretary. She was appointed to the role by President Bill Clinton and served from 1997-2001.
She was also a mentor to Rep. Figures.
'Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life and legacy of a true hometown hero, a legendary trailblazer, a family friend, a mentor to me and many others, and the former Secretary of Labor of this great nation — Alexis Margaret Herman,' Rep. Figures said.
Rep. Figures talked about discussions he had with Herman before he began working with President Obama's campaign and other career opportunities in the White House as she too had worked with a presidential administration. He also reached out to her when he was elected in November 2024 as the representative for Alabama District 2.
'Now, to understand Alexis Herman, you have to understand where she comes from,' he said. 'She was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama — my hometown. She came of age with a number of people and names that, if you're from the Mobile area, you would recognize.'
Rep. Figures credited Herman's parents for preparing her for the life she ultimately lived.
'Her father was actually the first Black person elected in the state of Alabama to any position post-Reconstruction,' he said. 'And this led him to being very active and motivated in Black voter participation and led to him one day actually being run off the road by the Klan. His five-year-old daughter, Alexis Herman, sat in the car and listened as her father was beaten by the Klan. Her mother was a schoolteacher, who Alexis had actually witnessed being thrown off of a segregated bus as a child.'
Rep. Figures discussed how Herman fought for civil rights and women's rights from a young age. Her determination ultimately caught the eye of President Jimmy Carter, who named her Director of the Women's Bureau at the Department of Labor. Just 29 years old, she was the youngest to ever serve in the role.
'She worked to promote job training opportunities for low-income Americans,' he said. 'And after that, she didn't quit. She always reached back. She always gave back. She always served as a mentor — to give advice to people like myself who wanted to pursue similar career tracks….'
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'And so today, as I stand here as a Member of Congress — someone who has followed in the footsteps of hers — it's not only my father that I seek to make proud in this moment. It is Alexis Herman,' he said in conclusion. 'Because of people like her, I can stand here today.'Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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