RIP Rep. Bill Gray (D-PA), First Black Majority Whip [VIDEO]

[Counterpoint PA]

Last edited Sat Aug 3, 2013, 11:14 PM - Edit history (1)

This is a video from my new show, Counterpoint PA, the only grassroots progressive newscast exclusively about Pennsylvania politics.

In this video, I report on the recent passing away of Rep. Bill Gray, a Pennsylvania Democrat who was the first black House majority whip, and show a video clip of him speaking about the efforts of the 1980's Congressional Black Caucus to block Pres. Reagan's agenda and the media reaction to his ascension to House Budget Committee chair as a black person.

For a transcript, links to the sources used in this story, and to browse the new categorized video archive, go to http://counterpointpa.org.

Stay in touch on social media on Twitter @CounterpointPA and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CounterpointPA.

Stay tuned this weekend for one more PA Headline:

Voter ID Turnout Suppression Tactics on Trial (Again)

Plus Counterpoint PA's special homage to Keith Olbermann, the Worst Pennsylvanians of the Week!

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Thanks for posting!

He was my congressman and one of the times I had the opportunity to go to D.C. for a conference, I was able to squeeze in time to visit the Capitol and find out how to get entry to the gallery of one of the chambers at the Capitol. I ended up going over to Rep. Gray's (tiny) office in one of the office buildings nearby (and was able to go through the underground tunnel) to get the gallery pass for the House. Got chance to chat with the staff there and it was a great experience just to see the nuts and bolts of a Congressional office in D.C.

After leaving Congress (to be replaced by Chakah Fattah), he ended up heading up the UNCF for over a dozen years.

The city has truly lost a giant and once again I offer condolences and R.I.P.