The first African American U.S. Secretary of Labor has died.
Alexis M. Herman, who served as labor secretary from 1997 to 2001 under former President Bill Clinton, died Friday. She was 77.
The 42nd president paid tribute to her on social media, saying that he and his wife, former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, were “deeply saddened” at her passing:
“Alexis Herman was a skillful and creative administrator who worked to empower women and strengthen families. In every effort, she lifted people with her unfailing optimism and energy,” he said. “We’ll miss her very much.”
Shomari Figures, the U.S. Representative from Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, released a statement on Herman’s passing, calling her a true hometown hero. Herman was a native of Mobile, Ala.
“Today, I was saddened to learn of the death of a true hometown hero, legendary trailblazer, family friend, and mentor: Alexis Herman,” Figures said in a statement. “She was a fighter for civil rights and women’s rights, a giant in DC political circles, especially among Black women, and an all around dynamic woman.”
The NAACP called Herman as “a pioneering leader” and lauded “her legacy of service and trailblazing leadership,” saying it “will continue to inspire generations.”
Herman was born on July 16, 1947, to Alex Herman, the first Black ward leader in Alabama, and Gloria Caponis, a local schoolteacher. She graduated in 1969 from Xavier University with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.
She helped to desegregate parochial schools in Mobile, managing the Southern Regional Council’s Black Women’s Employment Program, and was appointed at age 29 as the youngest director of the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau during the administration of former President Jimmy Carter.
As labor secretary under Clinton, Herman oversaw 17,000 people and a $39 million budget. She successfully mediated the 1997 UPS workers strike, supported a minimum wage increase to $5.15 per hour, and spearheaded the effort to fine Toys “R” Us $200,000 for violating child labor laws after alleging that the company assigned teen employees to work more and longer hours.
Herman succeeded Robert B. Reich, who left the Labor Department after four years on Jan. 12, 1997. According to the Washington Post, she as sworn in as secretary of labor 113 days after she was nominated, and said then that she wanted to help move people from welfare to work. Vice President Al Gore administered the oath of office at the Labor Department, joking that the long delay in her confirmation reminded people that “good things are worth waiting for.”
Her confirmation was at first delayed because of questions about her role in the organization of White House coffees, held by Clinton for major fund-raisers.
Herman persisted and succeeded despite her naysayers because of a quote once attributed to her: “I never entertained failure as an option.”
A bio on the U.S. Department of Labor website outlined her goals as its head.
“As the nation entered the new millennium, the nature of work and the face of workers were changing at tremendous speed,” the bio stated. “Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman saw her job as helping American workers effectively manage that change. As President Clinton said when he announced her appointment in December 1996, she is a leader who ‘understands the needs of workers and understands the challenges they face as we approach the 21st Century.’ While serving as the 23rd Secretary of Labor and the first African American to head the department, Herman led the Department of Labor to focus its work on three goals: a prepared workforce, a secure workforce and a quality workforce.”
After leaving office, Herman served as chair of Coca-Cola’s Human Resources Task Force and as member of Toyota’s Diversity Advisory Board. Also, she served on many boards including Cummins, MGM Resorts International, and Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.
