John Conyers, Jr.

John Conyers, Jr., born in 1929, Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan (1965- ). Born in Detroit, Michigan, John Conyers, Jr., earned a bachelor’s degree in 1957 and a law degree in 1958 from Wayne State University. He was a member of the Michigan National Guard from 1948 to 1952. In 1952 he joined the United States Army and fought in the Korean War. He was an assistant to U.S. Representative John Dingell from 1958 to 1961, and from 1961 to 1963 he worked for the Michigan Workmen’s Compensation Department. In the 1964 Democratic primary for the newly created, black-majority 14th Congressional District in Michigan, Conyers won by only 108 votes. When Conyers went to Congress, he was one of only six black representatives. He was the first black to chair the House Judiciary Committee, which is responsible for all crime and civil rights legislation. Conyers ran for mayor of Detroit in 1989 and 1993, but lost decisively both times.

The 14th District lies north of downtown Detroit. More than 500,000 district residents live in the city. The district takes in an economically depressed area with a high crime rate. Once a thriving community built around the auto industry, the district lost thousands of auto manufacturing jobs, and many residents who could afford to move left for the suburbs.