As the first Black U.S. secretary of labor, Alexis Margaret Herman, who died on April 25 at the age of 77, is being remembered for her barrier-breaking work and service to the nation and world.
“Secretary Herman personified history,” said National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) President and CEO Shavon Arline-Bradley. “Appointed by President Bill Clinton, she was the first African American to serve as Secretary of Labor. A longstanding member of NCNW and affiliate organization Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, Secretary Herman also served as an influential leader in the Democrat Party.”
Arline-Bradley summed up Herman’s life as someone dedicated to working toward equity, justice and uplifting society.
“She devoted decades of her life to the empowerment of Black women nationwide, committing to intergenerational leadership, economic empowerment, and organizational development,” the NCNW president continued. “She was a master strategist and understood that having a strategic plan was essential to achieve one’s goals. Secretary Herman was a pioneer in corporate governance, paving the way for many Black women to serve on corporate boards.”
The Life of Alexis M. Herman
As the first Black labor secretary, Herman, born on July 16, 1947, in Mobile, Alabama, came a long way from the racially segregated city to a trusted Cabinet-level leader.
She attended a parochial school, Heart of Mary High School, to get a better sense of diversity than the segregated public schools could offer and received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Xavier University in New Orleans in 1969.
After college, she worked professional jobs in Mobile, Pascagoula, Mississippi, in Atlanta and for New York-based consulting firm RTP.
While working for RTP, she met Ray Marshall, who would become labor secretary under President Jimmy Carter. In 1977, with Marshall’s blessing, Carter appointed Herman director of the Labor Department’s Women’s Bureau, at the age of 29, the youngest ever.
After the Carter administration concluded in 1981, Herman founded her own consulting firm A.M. Herman & Associates. Additionally, she stayed active in Democratic politics, managing convention operations for the presidential campaign of the Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1984 and 1988, serving as the chief of staff for Democratic Party Committee Chairman Ronald Brown, and as vice chair of the 1992 Democratic National Convention.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed Herman as the director of White House Office of Public Liaison, where she coordinated the administration’s relationship with interest groups. When Clinton was reelected in 1996, Clinton appointed her as labor secretary.
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond talked about Herman’s tenure at the department from 1997-2001.
“At the Department of Labor, she fought to raise wages, ensure safe workplaces and open doors for those who had been shut out of opportunity for generations,” they said in a statement. “Herman was instrumental in the expansion and enforcement of global child labor protections, raised the minimum wage for workers across the country and skillfully mediated negotiations between the Teamsters and United Parcel Service to resolve the nation’s largest strike in two decades.”
After the Clinton administration, Herman continued to work in Democratic politics and joined corporate boards such as Coca-Cola and Toyota. Throughout her life, she has received more than 20 honorary degrees from various academic institutions.
Susan Rice, former ambassador to the United Nations, remembered Herman as “a giant and cherished friend.”
“She was a powerful yet graceful leader, a visionary, a sister to sisters and one of the kindest people I’ve known,” Rice wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I will miss her mightily and send condolences to her family.”
Herman Praised as a Trailblazer, Leader
Clinton noted Herman’s efforts in 2006 to lead the (George H.W.) Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund to raise money for the victims of the 2005 hurricanes that devastated New Orleans and in 2010, she joined the board of the Clinton-(George W. Bush) Bush Haiti Fund to solicit funds for the ailing Caribbean country after a deadly earthquake.
“She was instrumental in both efforts, which raised and disbursed millions of dollars and provided much-needed relief,” said Clinton. “In every effort, she lifted people with her unfailing optimism and energy. We’ll miss her very much.”
U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Ala.), who represents Mobile in the Congress, bemoaned the death of Herman, saying he consulted with her on occasions when he needed advice and direction.
‘When I decided to join President Obama’s campaign, I called Alexis Herman, because she had worked on several presidential campaigns,” said Figures, 39. “When seeking out opportunities in the White House, I called Alexis Herman, because she had worked in the White House multiple times. And when considering a run for Congress, I again called Alexis Herman. Not because I had known her my entire life but because she could advise on levels that few people could.”
U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a Republican predecessor, praised Herman “as a leader in business, government and her community. She was a trailblazer who dedicated her life to strengthening America’s workforce and creating better lives for hardworking families.”
Former President Joe Biden also celebrated Herman’s life and work.
“Alexis Herman was an extraordinary trailblazer who broke through persistent barriers and redefined what is possible for so many,” Biden wrote on X. “Importantly, she worked to make sure those doors stayed open for those who followed her.”