Mickey Leland

Abstract

The paper discusses the life of Mickey Leland as well as his involvement in the government. Apart from that, the paper also highlights the programs and projects Leland has been associated with throughout his short life of forty-four years. He was an activist for the poor and put all his efforts in helping humanity. Mickey Leland will be remembered for his exceptional leadership skills. The paper also discusses the preservation of African-American history in honor of Leland. Prior to his death, Leland was on a relief mission in Ethiopia to help children who had escaped from Sudan. He sacrificed his life for the betterment of others and will always be considered a martyr.

Table of Contents

Abstractii

Introduction1

Discussion1

Early Life1

Personal Life2

Political Career3

International Relations4

Minority Issues6

Programs and Projects7

Leland Initiative9

Post Death9

Martyr9

Family10

Preservation of African American History10

Timeline11

End Notes13

Bibliography15

Mickey Leland

Introduction

George Thomas "Mickey" Leland, III, popularly known as Mickey Leland, was an activist who went on to become a congressman. He was primarily an anti-poverty activist and throughout his lifetime worked to help the less fortunate. The nickname “Mickey” was given to him by his maternal grandfather. On November 27, 1944, Mickey was born in Luddock, Texas. His parents separated shortly after his birth.

Discussion

Early Life

After his parents' separation, his mother Alice Rains moved to a poor area of Houston, Texas. Mickey lived in the Fifth Ward with his mother and an older brother, William. Alice had to work as a short-order cook; to support her family. She later went back to school and became a teacher to make ends meet. Much is not known of his father, George Thomas Leland, II. Mickey grew up in a Hispanic and African-American dominated neighborhood .

Leland's first experience with the "public" was in a segregated public school. He displayed the qualities of a top performer from his early school days. He attended Wheatley High School and where he was amongst the honor students (top students) from his class. After graduating from high school, he went on to pursue his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from Texas Southern University (TSU) in Houston. It is from TSU, in the late sixties, that Mickey began to emerge as a vocal leader of the local civil rights movement. He even brought national leaders of the movement to Houston.

After graduating from TSU's School of Pharmacy in 1970, Leland worked in Clinical Pharmacy as Instructor. He continued this for about a year and simultaneously started a campaign of "door to door" medical provision in neighborhoods with low income earners. The purpose of this campaign was to create awareness amongst the poorer citizens about medical care options available to them. It also stressed the importance of preliminary screenings which majority of the people opted for after gaining the knowledge. At the same time, to protest against police brutality, Mickey Leland founded the Black Citizens Action Teams (“Black Cats”). Mickey was the leader of the Black Cats. Later, he worked as a pharmacist, and also, worked alongside various university organizations to setup access to medical aid for poor ...