by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors
Booker began his political career at 29 years of age.
Written By Candace McDuffie
April 1, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) made history by having the longest Senate speech in history by holding the upper chamber’s floor for over 25 hours. This was no April Fool’s Day prank. As he poignantly criticized President Donald Trump’s second White House term and the Republican Party’s tentative spending cuts, Booker beat out segregationist and former South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond’s record when he spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes in an effort to block the Civil Rights Act back in 1957.
“These are not normal times in our nation,” he said as he began his speech Monday night. “And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them.”
Booker’s marathon speech was highlighted by the fact that he didn’t drink water or eat food throughout its entirety. The 55-year-old politician credited his athletic past as a former high school football player as the reason for his resilience. He also stated that prayer and faith played a role in pulling off his viral stunt.
“I just really lean on faith that we can get through this and I’m just so grateful for my colleagues who really covered me in prayer,” Booker told reporters according to The Hill. Besides galvanizing the left with a fervent anti-Trump speech, his career has been an impressive one steeped in authenticity, resolve, and advocacy for people.
Booker’s Modest Beginnings
Booker was born in Washington, D.C. before moving to northern New Jersey when he was a young boy. He has regularly spoken about the racism he experienced, growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood. His parents, Cary Alfred and Carolyn Rose Booker, were not just civil rights activists — they were also two of the first Black executives at IBM. He attended Stanford University and received a bachelor’s degree in political science as well as a master’s degree in sociology.
When Booker wasn’t playing varsity football, he also was in charge of a student-run crisis hotline. He went on to attend Yale Law School and operated free legal clinics for low-income residents in Connecticut. He was involved in the National Black Law Students Association and the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. Booker obtained his juris doctor in 1997.
A Bright Political Future
Powerful Two-Term Mayoral Tenure
When a special election was held to fill Frank Lautenberg’s Senate seat after his death, Booker easily won the race.
New Jersey’s First Black Senator
Booker’s Ambitious 2020 Presidential Bid
“The history of our nation is defined by collective action; by interwoven destinies of slaves and abolitionists; of those born here and those who chose America as home; of those who took up arms to defend our country, and those who lined arms to challenge and change it,” he explained in a video.
RELATED CONTENT: Senator Cory Booker’s 25-Hour Marathon Speech Is One For Record Books
Source: Black Enterprise
