Representative Donald M. Payne
With sadness, Avoice announces the passing of Representative Donald M. Payne (NJ-10). Rep. Payne was the first African American elected to Congress from New Jersey. During his 12 terms in Congress, Rep. Payne was a staunch advocate for Africa and civic issues involving working families and senior citizens. He was the highest ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights and served on the Education and the Workforce Committee.
Elected chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in 2010, Rep. Payne made a huge impact on the Avoice project. He participated in Avoice’s public forums and events. He readily encouraged members to preserve their papers and share their history with staff, interns and constituents.
In 2009, Rep. Payne participated in the first Avoice In Action event to talk about the legacy of the CBCs role in foreign affairs policy. He will be missed but his legacy lives on through Avoice and CBCF.