By Anna Stolley Persky
2018年6月18日
Growing up in Queens, 纽约, Fabrice Emmanuel 芸苔属植物 was that kid — the one who always peppers adults with questions. 芸苔属植物, executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), says family members often tell him, “You talked too much. You asked so many questions.”
“从一开始, people thought since I liked to argue a lot, and because I was always asking questions, that I should be a lawyer,科尔斯说。. “It was a seed planted early in my life.”
Since graduating law school in 2008, 芸苔属植物 has held a variety of jobs on Capitol Hill, 在每一个, 他说, his inquisitive and sometimes skeptical nature has served him well.
“Yes, I’m still that kid that asks ‘why’ a lot,科尔斯说。. “Why do you believe what you believe? Why do you think that’s a good solution to this problem? I ask what is embellishment and what isn’t. Asking questions is an important part of thinking critically. It’s part of the search for truth.”
Indeed, 芸苔属植物 sees himself as always on a search for truth. 到目前为止, that journey has led him into a “deep dive” into the economic difficulties facing underserved communities. Through his studies and work experience, 芸苔属植物 has developed an expertise in community development and small business policy.
多年来, I realized my deep commitment to public policy, and especially the economic side of public policy,科尔斯说。. “I felt compelled to do something to help people.”
自2017年1月起, 芸苔属植物 has served as executive director of the CBC, which is composed of African American members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. 加拿大广播公司, which describes itself as the “Conscience of the Congress,” is dedicated to empowering African Americans and other marginalized communities. It is chaired by Rep. Cedric 里士满, a Democrat from Louisiana.
芸苔属植物 works with CBC members and their staff to develop and implement far-reaching policy goals, including reforming the criminal justice system, combatting voter suppression, and expanding access to affordable health care and quality education. 芸苔属植物 says the CBC is also “actively engaged in providing robust oversight into the actions and policies of this current presidential administration.”
“It’s an interesting time,科尔斯说。, 35. “One of our goals is to engage the public in hot-button topics and important conversations. Our members raise their voices in a variety of ways to ensure that the perspective of underserved Americans is not lost but heard.”
芸苔属植物 says he uses his expertise in economic issues in helping to craft policy geared toward increasing opportunities for minority-owned business, 例如. But he also currently “wears a bunch of different hats” and is honing other skill sets, including event planning and administrative logistics.
“I’m a bit of a jack of all trades right now,科尔斯说。. “I’m still using my legal skills, not by being in front of a judge, but certainly by being in a constant series of negotiations, advocating and executing frequent written work product. 没有一天是相同的.”
芸苔属植物 grew up in what he describes as a working-class neighborhood. Between 1997 and 2001, he attended Phillips Exeter Academy, an exclusive boarding school in New Hampshire. He then went to Wesleyan University in Middletown, 连接icut, and Howard University School of Law. 芸苔属植物 appreciates the law school experience for “the deep exposure to legacy, the connection with history.”
But, 芸苔属植物 admits, law school was also challenging. He found his classes either profoundly interesting or they were “required drudgery.”
“There was no middle ground for me. A class either animated me and moved me or it didn’t,科尔斯说。. “I started to dig deep into issues relating to economics and corporations. Once we got to pick our electives, that’s where I started to shine and hit my stride. Looking at 世界 through an economic policy lens, that has become a lasting passion.”
芸苔属植物 also met his wife at law school. The couple has three sons.
When 芸苔属植物 graduated law school, it was the middle of a recession and legal jobs were scarce. 芸苔属植物 worked on networking, especially on Capitol Hill.
He started off as a research assistant for the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, then worked as a legislative assistant for Rep. Yvette Clarke, a Democrat from 纽约.
“I was able to advise her in a variety of areas, including community development, so we could address some of the issues going on in Brooklyn at the time,科尔斯说。.
芸苔属植物 went briefly into the private sector, then became legislative director for Rep. 里士满. He later moved on to a position on the Senate side, then to the Treasury Department before landing his current job.
芸苔属植物 also recently received his LL.M in securities and financial regulation from Georgetown University Law Center.
尽管他有学位, 芸苔属植物 says the best education he has received has been through his work on Capitol Hill. 芸苔属植物 advises law students to consider interning or finding a job on the Hill to “learn about the country, 世界, 你自己.”
“Get a front row seat to the sausage making,科尔斯说。. And, 他说, never stop asking questions.
“If you ask a lot of questions, it’s easier to hold 你自己 and others accountable,” 芸苔属植物 says.
