11/7/02

Diane B. Clifton, 334-844-5117

CAROL MOSELEY-BRAUN

MOSELEY-BRAUN KEYNOTE AT AU WOMEN AND POLITICS CONFERENCE

AUBURN -- Former Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun, D-Ill., will deliver the keynote speech at the "Women and Politics: A Global Perspective" conference at Auburn University on Nov. 21.

Moseley-Braun was the first African-American woman elected to the Senate and the first woman to serve on the powerful Senate Finance Committee. She also served on the Banking, Housing and Urban Development, Judiciary and Small Business committees during her term in the Senate from 1993-98.

After her service in the Senate, Moseley-Braun was named special consultant to the Department of Education then ambassador to New Zealand, Samoa, the Cook Islands and Antarctica.

"We are thrilled to have Ambassador and former Senator Moseley-Braun come to Auburn to keynote this unprecedented conference," said David Wilson, associate provost and vice president for Outreach at AU.

"She has held the highest position in elected politics in the United States for African-American women. She brings a perspective to the issue of women in politics in America that is quite unique."

Samia Spencer, Castanoli Professor of French in AU's Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures and conference organizer, said she is also delighted that Moseley-Braun will be delivering the keynote address.

"Carol Moseley-Braun is not only a champion of education, civil rights and government reform, more importantly, she is a woman of deep conviction and extraordinary courage," said Spencer.

"Not many elected officials would dare to sue their party and their state, as she successfully did, on behalf of Hispanic and African-American citizens, in the landmark (reapportionment) case of Crosby vs. State Board of Education," Spencer added.

Born in Chicago in 1947, Moseley-Braun's father was a law enforcement officer who spoke several languages and played seven musical instruments. Her mother was a medical technician. After graduating from the Chicago Public Schools, Mosely-Braun received a bachelor or art's degree in 1969 and a law degree in 1973 from the University of Illinois. She joined the United States Attorneyıs Office in 1973.

As an assistant U.S. Attorney, her work in housing, health policy and environmental law won her the Attorney General's Special Achievement Award, her first public service recognition. Since then, she has received more than 300 awards for achievements in the public interest.

Moseley-Braun now teaches corporate law at DePaul University Chicago.

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CONTACT: Spencer, 334/844-6374.