Fattah, Chaka, 1956-

FATTAH, Chaka, a Representative from Pennsylvania; born in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa., November 21, 1956; attended Overbrook High School, Philadelphia, Pa.; earned G.E.D., A.A., Community College of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., 1976; attended University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, Philadelphia, Pa., 1977; M.A., University of Pennsylvania's Fels School of State and Local Government, Philadelphia, Pa., 1986; attended John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., 1984; special assistant to director of housing and community development, Philadelphia, Pa., 1980; special assistant to managing director of housing and community development, Philadelphia, Pa., 1981; policy assistant, Greater Philadelphia Partnership; member of the Pennsylvania state house of representatives, 1982-1988; member of the Pennsylvania state senate, 1988-1994; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Fourth and to the ten succeeding Congresses until his resignation on June 23, 2016 (January 3, 1995-June 23, 2016).

<p>Chaka Fattah (born Arthur Davenport; November 21, 1956) is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House for Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district from 1995 to 2016, and he was succeeded by fellow Democrat Dwight Evans. He previously served in the Pennsylvania Senate and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.</p>

<p>The district included portions of North Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, and West Philadelphia along with Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County.</p>

<p>On July 29, 2015, Fattah and a group of associates were indicted on federal charges related to their alleged roles in a racketeering and influence peddling conspiracy. He was convicted on 23 counts of racketeering, fraud, and other corruption charges on June 21, 2016, and resigned two days later. On December 12, 2016, Fattah was sentenced to 10 years in prison.</p>

<p>Chaka Fattah, a Philadelphia native, represented a U.S. House district covering large sections of the northern and western parts of the city for 11 terms. Fattah served 12 years in the Pennsylvania state legislature before winning his first House election in 1994. “I hope my accomplishment, my achievement, will be in legislation, not in how high a position I reached,” Fattah once said. A committed political activist from an early age, Fattah built a powerful local organization that enabled him to acquire resources for his district. “Even though my family wasn’t involved in politics, I had this political interest in terms of community involvement,” he noted. “My thinking . . . is that you can provide community service in a variety of venues. But as a politician, you could provide community service that no one else really could.”</p>

<p>Chaka Fattah was born Arthur Davenport, the fourth of six sons, on November 21, 1956, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father, Russell Davenport, was a U.S. Army sergeant, and his mother, Frances Davenport, was an editor at the Philadelphia Tribune, the oldest black newspaper in America, and served as vice president of the Philadelphia Council of Neighborhood organizations. His parents divorced when he was young, and Frances married David Fattah, a local activist. She renamed her son Chaka, after an African Zulu warrior. The social activism of his mother and stepfather shaped Fattah’s political development. “I grew up in a home where being involved in community life was a norm,” he recalled.</p>

<p>In 1968, the family created the House of Umoja, a shelter that helped homeless youth and young men looking to escape unstable home lives and find secure housing. While sharing his room, clothes, and food with the residents, Fattah recalled discussing every subject under the sun. “These guys were like my older brothers . . . so I thought it was a great thing.” Fattah’s first exposure to local politics occurred when he was 14 years old. As the House of Umoja grew beyond the first floor of the Fattah family home, Chaka, still only a teenager, successfully submitted a proposal to a local bank to purchase several vacant houses on the block. Reliant on community support, Chaka became adept at acquiring resources, building relationships with local leaders, and working with a variety of people in his neighborhood and in the local government. The House of Umoja expanded into more than 25 homes within the next 30 years.</p>

<p>U.S. Congressman Chaka Fattah, United States Representative of Pennsylvania’s second District, was born November 21, 1956 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Fattah’s mother, Falaka Brown Fattah, and stepfather, David Fattah, raised him in the commitment-driven environment of The House of Umoja (Unity), one of the only urban boys homes in the country. David Fattah was a leader in The House of Umoja’s “No Gang War Campaign” and “The Youth Movement to Clean Up Politics.” Fattah attended city public schools, the Community College of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government where he earned a Master’s Degree in Government Administration. He also completed the Senior Executive Program for State Officials at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.</p>

<p>In 1977, at age 21, Fattah ran unsuccessfully for the Office of City Commissioner of Philadelphia. He was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1982 and to the Pennsylvania Senate in 1988. In 1995, Fattah defeated an incumbent to win his United States congressional seat. Fattah, in 1998, spearheaded educational initiatives such as GEAR UP, which partners low income high school students with colleges and universities and The William H. Gray College Completion Grant. His top legislative priority is the Student Bill of Rights, which identifies seven fundamentals for learning. Fattah supported the Reauthorization to Higher Education Act and the Workforce Investment Partnership Act. Fattah co-sponsored the African Growth and Opportunities Act, the Drug Free Communities Act of 1997, and the District of Columbia Financial and Management Assistance Act, which became law in 1995. Fattah designed “Read to Lead,” a free summer reading program, and since 1986, convened the annual Fattah Conference on Higher Education. He has also played a key role in both the Pennsylvania Higher Education Facilities Committee and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Authority.</p>

<p>Fattah is co-chair of the Friends of the Caribbean Caucus and serves on the House Appropriations Committee, the Subcommittee on Virginia/U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies and is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on the District of Columbia. He also co-chaired The Web-based Education Commission. Identified by Ebony magazine as one of the 100 most important African Americans and by Time magazine as one of the 50 most promising leaders in the country, Fattah is married to Renee Chenault Fattah and has four children.</p>