official U.S. Congress photo; Black Americans in Congress. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives
Birth Name: Walter Edward Fauntroy
Place of Birth: Washington, D.C., U.S.
Date of Birth: February 6, 1933
Ethnicity: African-American
Walter E. Fauntroy is an American politician, preacher, and civil rights activist. He was pastor of the New Bethel Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington, D.C.’s at-large district, from March 23, 1971 to January 3, 1991.
He was a candidate for the Democratic Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 1972 and 1976.
Walter is the son of Ethel (Vine) and William Thomas Fauntroy. He is married to Dorothy Simms, with whom he has two children.
Walter’s paternal grandfather was named Edward Ambush Fauntroy.
Walter’s paternal grandmother was named Ella M. White.
Walter is one of four black Americans to have won a caucus and/or primary for a major American political party’s presidential nomination, having won Washington, D.C.’s primary in 1972. The other winners are:
*Shirley Chisholm (1972; Democratic; won 3 contests, including New Jersey)
*Jesse Jackson (Democratic; in 1984, he won 2+ states; in 1988, he won 9+ states)
*Barack Obama (Democratic; in 2008, he won 29+ states; in 2012, he won 50+ states)
Kamala Harris, whose father is Jamaican, began serving as Vice President of the United States in 2021.
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