Cynthia McKinney

Cynthia Ann McKinney (born March 17, 1955 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a member of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia from 1993 until 2003 and again in another term which began in 2005, representing the state's 4th Congressional district (map). McKinney was the first African American woman to represent Georgia in Congress. She is a Democrat.

Related Topics:
March 17 - 1955 - Atlanta, Georgia - United States House of Representatives - Georgia - 1993 - 2003 - 2005 - African American - Democrat

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McKinney's political career began in 1986 when her father, state representative Billy McKinney, submitted her name as a write-in for a state house district. On the strength of the McKinney name she got around 40% of the vote, even though she lived in Jamaica at the time with then-husband Coy Grandison. In 1988 she ran for the seat herself and won, making the McKinneys the first father-daughter legislative team in the nation. McKinney wore pants to the house, brushing off rules requiring women wear skirts or dresses. In 1991 she spoke out in the legislature against the U.S. bombing of Iraq during the Persian Gulf War, many legislators walked out in protest at her remarks.

Related Topics:
1986 - Jamaica - 1988 - 1991 - Iraq - Persian Gulf War

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In 1992 she was elected as the first Congresswoman from the newly-drawn 11th District, a black-majority district stretching from Atlanta to Savannah. in 1995 the 11th was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court because the boundaries were unfairly based on race (sixty-four percent of McKinney's constituents were black). McKinney countered that Texas's sixth district, by comparison, was deemed constitutional yet 91% of the constituents were white. Her home was placed in the 4th District, located in DeKalb County. She was easily reelected from this district in 1996, 1998 and 2000.

Related Topics:
1992 - Atlanta - Savannah - 1995 - U.S. Supreme Court - Texas - DeKalb County - 1996 - 1998 - 2000

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In 2002 she gave an interview on KPFA Radio in San Francisco in which she implied that George W. Bush knew of the September 11 terrorist attacks before they happened and failed to prevent them. The story was picked up by The Washington Post.http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A34565-2002Apr11¬Found=true

Related Topics:
2002 - KPFA - San Francisco - George W. Bush - September 11 terrorist attacks - The Washington Post

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When New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani turned down a $10 million disaster-relief donation from Saudi prince Alwaleed bin Talal after the prince made comments blaming America's Middle East policies for the September 11 terrorist attacks, Congresswoman McKinney wrote a letter to the prince in which she asked that he send his check to a number of charities working on behalf of African Americans.

Related Topics:
New York City - Rudy Giuliani - Alwaleed bin Talal - African Americans

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In 2002, McKinney was defeated in the Democratic primary elections by Denise Majette, then a DeKalb County judge. McKinney protested this result in court, claiming that Republicans in the mostly-Democratic district had participated in the Democratic primary to vote against McKinney in revenge for her anti-Bush stance. Georgia election laws do not require voters to claim a political party when they register to vote, so voters can participate in whichever primary election they choose. In addition to alleged "cross-over" Republican vote, many Democrats were unhappy with McKinney's controversial statements and remarks by McKinney's father, Billy McKinney, an Atlanta state representative. When asked by a reporter, why McKinney had such poor luck with finding endorsements from other prominent Democrats Billy McKinney claimed that "Jews have bought everybody. Jews. J. E. W. S.".

Related Topics:
2002 - Primary election - Denise Majette - Judge - Republicans - Billy McKinney

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Through 2003 and 2004 she toured America and much of Europe, speaking of her defeat, her opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and the Bush administration. Although speculation suggested that she was considering a run for the Green Party nomination in the 2004 presidential election, in January 2004 she declined a national campaign in favor of a Congressional campaign to unseat Rep. Majette.

Related Topics:
2003 - 2004 - Europe - U.S. invasion of Iraq - Green Party - 2004 presidential election - January 2004

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Majette subsequently became a candidate to replace retiring Georgia Senator Zell Miller, and McKinney (who had announced her plans to run again before Majette dropped out of the race) entered the Democratic primary for her old seat. The primary was seen as the real contest in this district, which is so heavily Democratic that Democratic nomination is tantamount to a general election victory. Those who opposed her were unable to successfully unite behind one opposition candidate in the crowded field, and many assumed they could defeat her in a runoff. McKinney got enough votes to just barely avoid a runoff, thus all but assuring a return to Congress after only two years. However, her fellow Democrats refused to give her back her seniority.

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Initially, McKinney was low-key upon her return to Congress. On July 22, 2005, McKinney held a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill to address outstanding issues regarding 9/11. The day-long briefing featured family members of victims of 9/11, former intelligence agency officials, noted authors and other experts who collectively gave a searing indictment of the 9/11 Commission and its recommendations. First to speak were the 'Jersey Girls,' 9/11 widows who tirelessly worked to see the 9/11 Commission formed (in the face of Bush administration stonewalling), only to conclude that it was "an insult to the intelligence of the American public," as 9/11 widow Lorie Van Auken described it in her opening statement. The four morning panels were meant to address flaws, omissions and the lack of historical and political analysis in the 9/11 Commission's report. Three afternoon panels critiqued the Commission's recommendations in the areas of foreign and domestic policy, and intelligence reform. An Atlanta Journal Constitution editorial maintained that the purpose of the event was to discuss whether or not the Bush administration was involved in the 9/11 attacks (the hearing was timed to mark the first anniversary of the 9/11 Commission's report), expressing surprise that she was again taking on the issue which was widely perceived to have caused her to lose her seat in Congress, yet the Journal refused to publish McKinney's reply, claiming after delays that it was no longer timely.

Related Topics:
July 22 - 2005 - 9/11 Commission

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McKinney's interest in 9/11 relates specifically to her opposition to excessive government secrecy. She has submitted to Congress two versions of an 'MLK Records Act,' one in 2003 and another in 2005, which if made into law would release hundreds of thousands of sealed files concerning the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968. These records were sealed in 1978 and are not set to become public until 2038. Likewise, the 9/11 Commission has sealed all the notes and transcripts of some 2,000 interviews, all the forensic evidence and both classified and non-classified documents used in compiling its Final Report until January 2009.

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McKinney has a sixteen-year-old son, Coy McKinney.

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