A Representative from Georgia; born in Atlanta, Fulton County, Ga., March 17, 1955; graduated St. Joseph High School; B.A., University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif., 1978; attended Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Medford, Mass.; diplomatic fellow, Spellman College, Atlanta, Ga., 1984; faculty member, Clark Atlanta University and Agnes Scott College; member of the Georgia state house of representatives, 1988-1992; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Third and to the four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1993-January 3, 2003); unsuccessful candidate for nomination to the One Hundred Eighth Congress in 2002; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Ninth Congress (January 3, 2005-January 3, 2007); unsuccessful candidate for nomination to the One Hundred Tenth Congress in 2006.