Bobby Rush

About Bobby Rush

Bobby Lee Rush (born November 23, 1946) is an American politician from Illinois. A Democrat, he has served as United States Representative of Illinois' 1st congressional district since 1993. The district is located principally on the south side of Chicago, and has a higher percentage of African American residents (65%) than any other congressional district in the nation. He is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Rush was born in Albany, Georgia, and was educated at Roosevelt University (bachelor's degree), the University of Illinois at Chicago (master's degree) and McCormick Theological Seminary (theology degree), all of which are in Chicago. He served in the United States Army from 1963 to 1968, was a co-founder of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, and was an insurance agent and member of the Chicago City Council before entering the House.

During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's, Congressman Rush worked to secure basic civil and human rights for African-Americans, women and other minorities. He was a member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1966 to 1968. Congressman Rush was a co-founder of the Illinois Black Panther Party in 1968.