Al Edwards

Infobox State Representative


name=Al Edwards


state_house=Texas
state=Texas
district=146th
term=1978-2006
preceded=
succeeded=Boris Miles
party=Democratic
date of birth=March 19th 1937
place of birth=
date of death=
place of death=
residence=Houston, Texas
spouse=
profession=Realtor and Mortgage Broker
religion=|

Al Edwards (born 19 March 1937) is a member of the Texas Legislature representing District 146.. Edwards is known to many outside the Houston area as by way of The Stephanie miller Show as the real "Squeezy McFeelpants" for his support of the ban of overly sexy chearleaders acts in Texas highchools

Edwards graduated from Wheatley High School in Houston." [http://www.houstonisd.org/HISDConnectDS/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=c3783acb02efc010VgnVCM10000052147fa6RCRD Distinguished HISD Alumni] ," "Houston Independent School District"]

• Al Edwards is a native Houstonian. He is the sixth child out of the sixteen children born into the union of Reverend E. L. Edwards, Sr. and Josephine Radford Edwards.

• He is a graduate of Phyllis Wheatley High School.

• He received a Bachelors Degree from Texas Southern University, Houston , Texas in 1966, a Certificate in Corrective Therapy at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama , and is a realtor and mortgage broker.

• He was involved in the Civil Rights Movement where he participated in peaceful marches and demonstrations throughout the United States of America with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Reverend Jesse Jackson, Mr. Carl Stocks, Reverend William (Bill) Lawson, and others.

• He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

• He is a thirteen term elected member of the Texas House of Representative and has been serving in that capacity since 1978.

• In 1979, he authored and sponsored House Bill 1016, making June 19th (" JUNETEENTH ") a state paid holiday in Texas .

• He founded Juneteenth, U.S.A. , in 1979 along with Al Edwards Real Estate and Mortgage Company and Zinetteta Burney, who many say was his girlfriend at the time.

• He was inducted into "Who's Who in America " in 1989 and "Who's Who of Global Decision Makers" in 2006.

• In 1983, he received an Honorary Doctoral Degree from the University of Belize .

• He served as a member of the board of Push International Trade Bureau of Chicago, Illinois from 1983 to 1989.

• Honorable Al Edwards served as the State Chairman for Reverend Jesse Jackson's campaign for President of the United States in both 1984 and 1988.

• In 1986, he founded "Operation Justus " , a community-based organization that serves as a referral service for persons with social problems and concerns.

• In 1987, he was arrested in Houston and went to jail for demonstrating against apartheid in South Africa . Others demonstrating on the national level included Reverend Jesse Jackson, Dick Gregory, Aretha Franklin, Harry Belafonte along with many others.

• In 1989, he traveled to Mozambique , Johannesburg , and Angola , South Africa on a peace-seeking mission.

• Representative Edwards served as Chairman of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus from 1991 to 1997.

• Al Edwards was called to ministry in April 1993. Revered Al Edwards is a member of Progressive New Hope Church .

• During the Clinton administration, Honorable Al Edwards was often invited to the White House as the guest of President Bill and Hillary Clinton.

• In May 1994, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the African American Biographic Association in Atlanta, Georgia .

• Honorable Al Edwards was elected Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Black Caucus and held that position for six years. He was Vice-Chairman for ten years.

• Reverend Edwards received his Doctorate of Divinity from World Bible Christian University in San Antonio .

• In 1999, Honorable Al Edwards was appointed Chairman of Texas Emancipation Juneteenth Cultural and Historical Commission by Governor George W. Bush.

• While serving in the legislature, he has had the distinct honor of serving with Governor Bush, who would later become the President of the United States of America .

• While serving in the legislature, he has had the distinct honor of serving with State Representative Rick Perry, who would later become the Governor of Texas.

• On January 15, 2004 , Honorable Al Edwards helped to lead a successful march of over 5000 people in Waller County in order for the students of Prairie View A & M University to be able to vote.

As a senior member of the State Legislature, Al Edwards served on three of the most influential Committees. He was the Chairman of the Rules and Resolutions Committee, Chairman of Budget and Oversight of the Ways and Means Committee and a member of the Appropriations Committee. [http://www.aledwards.com/bio.html]

In 1989, Edwards also sponsored a bill to punish drug dealers by having their fingers cut off. [cite web| url=http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/legislature/stories/040405dntexedwards.536b4.html| publisher=Denton Record-Chronicle| date=2005-03-19| title=Edwards still keeps colleagues guessing| accessdate=2007-07-15 ] [cite news| ur=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/special/05/legislature/3166954.html| date= 2005-05-04| title= [http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2005_3867370 House to cheerleaders: hooray, but no hip-hips] | first=Kristen| last=Mack| coauthors=Allan Turner| publisher=Houston Chronicle]

Edwards is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.

Al Edwards stirred controversy in his heavily Democratic Houston district by voting with Republicans on a number of issues. [ [http://www.savetexasreps.com/index.php?p=118 savetexasreps.com ] ] One issue which he proposed legislation was a 'booty bill' which went after high school cheerleaders. This led to Edwards being challenged by two candidates in the 2006 Democratic primary election, where his Democratic primary opponents - Al Bennett and Borris Miles - cited the issue of Rep. Edwards being out of touch with his legislative district (Miles used a comment where Edwards' district office has a rusted padlock). Edwards led the March 2006 Democratic primary election, but he received less than 50% of the vote, forcing an April run-off. Edwards was defeated in the 2006 Democratic primary run-off election by Borris Miles, who went on to win election to the seat. In 2008 Edwards went on to be re-elected to the District 146 post by defeating Boris Miles by over 60% of the vote. [http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe]

Edwards, remembered for failing to take any substantive measure to block the Republican redistricting plan in 2003, also voted for the antigay "gay marriage ban," angering many in his district. Edwards stirred further controversy while in office by attempting to erect a black history statue at the state capitol that colleagues opposed because it included Edwards' own likeness. [ [http://capitolannex.com/2008/01/06/hd-146-al-edwards-claims-hes-running-again-because-of-redistricting/ HD 146: Al Edwards Claims He’s Running Again Because Of Redistricting — Capitol Annex ] ]

References

External links

Superdelegate Transparency Project http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Al_Edwards
*cite web| url=http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist146/edwards.htm| title=Texas House of Representatives: Member Al Edwards| accessdate=2006-06-14Al Edwards on "The Daily Show", No Child's Sweet Behind http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=110182&title=wiltfong-no-childs-sweet-behind

*cite web|url=http://www.aledwards.com/contact.html|title=Contact Al Edwards
* http://www.aledwards.com