by Howard Rothman


Preserving the Legacy
Born amidst civil rights legends in Alabama, Rep. Artur Davis has big plans now

Thirty-five years ago, Artur Davis was born in the cradle of the civil rights movement, as the nearby cities of Montgomery and Birmingham, Ala., reverberated with the energy of men like Medgar and Martin. 
Today, Davis is the incoming House member representing this hallowed ground. Following his upset primary victory last summer over a Democratic institution supported by many figures from the ’60s, Davis is committed to keeping this cradle of civil rights rocking.

Part of an upstart new guard emerging in African-American politics in the South, Davis exhibits a compassionate commitment to the underprivileged that has drawn comparisons to old-guard icon Robert F. Kennedy, if not Alabama’s Medger Evers and Martin Luther King, Jr. His various experiences in public service—an internship with the Southern Poverty Law Center, a clerkship for one of the first black judges on the federal bench, and as an assistant U.S. attorney and lawyer in private practice—pushed Davis toward Congress determined to assist those still excluded from benefits fought for in the streets and schoolhouses of his 7th congressional district.

“Expanding access and widening the circle of inclusion in this society” are Davis’ long-term goals. “The agenda is still the same,” he says, “providing opportunities for people.”

It’s hardly surprising that Davis has been influenced by the pioneers of Montgomery, where he was raised by his mother and grandmother, and Birmingham, where he has lived since graduating magna cum laude from Harvard University and cum laude from Harvard Law. Despite the city’s historic significance and the presence of world-class healthcare facilities and financial institutions, Davis’ 70-percent African-American district lost six percent of its population during the 1990s. The half-million who remain include some of America’s poorest citizens: Roughly 40 percent of the district’s children live below the poverty line, and more than 30 percent have no health insurance.

Davis first tried to change these numbers in 2000 by challenging incumbent Rep. Earl Hilliard, who was elected in 1992 as Alabama’s first African-American Congressman since Reconstruction. Davis lost by 24 percentage points but only grew more determined to become a “pivotal decision-maker,” like Judge Myron Thompson, the trailblazing jurist for whom he clerked in 1993-94.

After the clerkship, Davis served four years as an assistant U.S. attorney, working diligently to build name recognition. He also strove to forge coalitions with groups alienated by Hilliard, who nonetheless retained the support of many established African-American leaders.

The strategy proved effective. In 2002, Davis raised $1 million to Hilliard’s $700,000 and prevented the five-time incumbent from capturing half of the vote in the June 4 primary. In the June 25 rematch, Davis took 56 percent of the vote to Hilliard’s 44 percent. Come November, Davis soared into office with 93 percent of voters punching his chad.

Drawing on the optimism that kept him focused during an uphill campaign, Davis now plans to promote his ideas on education, healthcare, infrastructure, economic development, and justice. He believes he can accomplish his goals despite being a freshman member of the minority party by building coalitions and focusing on “positions rather than personalities.”

Having made his thunderous entry onto the political scene last year, Davis has no plans to let up now.