Monica Faith Stewart
{{Short description|American politician (born 1952)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Monica Faith Stewart
| image = File:Monica Faith Stewart 1981.jpg
| alt =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1952|9|3}}
| birth_place = Chicago
| state_house = Illinois
| district = 29th
| term_start = {{start date|1981|01|14}}
| term_end = {{end date|1983|01|12}}
| predecessor = Clarence B. Williamson
| successor = District abolished
| party = Democratic
| education = {{plainlist|
}}
}}
Monica Faith Stewart (born September 3, 1952) is an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives. She represented the 29th district for one term, from 1981 until 1983.{{Cite book | title = Political Empowerment of Illinois' African-American State Lawmakers from 1877 to 2005 | author-first = Erma Brooks | author-last = Williams | publisher = University Press of America | year = 2008 | page = 51}}
Early life and education
Stewart was born in Chicago on September 3, 1952, and attended Chicago Public Schools, graduating from Englewood High School in 1970.{{cite news | author-last = Clay | author-first = Nate | title = 29th district candidate: Stewart: capable of representing district's interest | newspaper = Chicago Defender | date = 1980-10-29 | page = 6 | url-access = subscription | url = https://www.proquest.com/docview/2538473429 | id = {{ProQuest|2538473429}} }} In 1974 won a fellowship to study in East Africa and spent some weeks with the Frelimo liberation movement in Mozambique. She graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1975 with a bachelor's degree in History. She later earned a master's degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government.{{cite news|title=Ex-legislator thrives in S. Africa|last=Long|first=Ray|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=May 28, 2000|page=4:2|via=Newspapers.com|url =https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-ex-legislator-monica-fa/119223917/ }}
Career
Stewart launched her first bid for political office in 1977, when she ran unsuccessfully for alderman of Chicago's 18th ward. She won 23 out of 28 majority-Black precincts in the 66-precinct ward.
She was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in the 1980 election, as one of three representatives from the 29th district on Chicago's South Side.{{cite book|ref={{harvid|Blue Book|1981}} | editor-last=Edgar|editor-first=Jim|title=Illinois Blue Book 1981–1982|chapter=The 82nd General Assembly|page=126|publisher=Illinois Secretary of State|location=Springfield, Illinois|access-date=December 11, 2020|url=http://www.idaillinois.org/digital/collection/bb/id/35528}}[https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/honorable-monica-stewart The History Makers-The Honorable Monica Stewart] Stewart ran as an independent Democrat, and in the primary election she bested the other candidates by a wide margin.{{Cite news | author-last = Harvey | author-first = Roy | date = 1980-03-24 | title = Great day for southside blacks | newspaper = Chicago Defender |id={{ProQuest| }} | url-access = subscription | url = https://www.proquest.com/docview/2541017769 }} She also received the most votes of any candidate in the five-way general election race, which the Chicago Defender described as "hotly contested".{{Cite news | title = Eyeballing some election winners: Few surprises in city's voting | date = 1980-11-06 | newspaper = Chicago Defender | url = https://www.proquest.com/docview/2538503131 | id = {{ProQuest|2538503131}} | url-access = subscription}} She received the greatest number of votes of any candidate, 76,600 as against 64,700 for regular Democrat Raymond Ewell. She was, at the time, the youngest African American woman who had ever served in the Illinois state legislature.
In the 82nd General Assembly, where Democrats were in the minority, she served on the Executive Committee and the Public Utilities Committee.{{sfn|Blue Book|1981|pp=64–65}} She also served on the Rape Study Commission and cosponsored legislation to increase the penalties for gang rape.{{cite book | title = Bury My Heart in a Free Land: Black Women Intellectuals in Modern U.S. History | editor-first = Hettie V. | editor-last = Williams | publisher = Bloomsbury Publishing USA | year = 2018 | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=D3vCEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT214 | chapter = "Pro Black Women, Yet Anti No One": Black Women Intellectuals and the National Alliance of Black Feminists | pages = 205–228 | author-first = Voichita | author-last = Nachescu | isbn = 979-8-216-05701-7 }} The General Assembly faced a difficult task of redistricting, as the voters of Illinois had passed the Cutback Amendment in the same election that brought Stewart to the House. This amendment required the elimination of multi-member districts and a 1/3 reduction in the total number of representatives. Stewart broke from the Democratic Party to support the Republican redistricting map because it would maintain seven majority-Black State Senate districts and fourteen majority-Black State House districts.{{Cite news | author-last = Jenkins | author-first = Norman | date = 1981-08-03 | title = Rep. Stewart: 'Proud to put race above party' | newspaper = Chicago Defender | url-access = subscription | url = https://www.proquest.com/docview/2538931842 | id = {{ProQuest|2538931842}} }} She urged that "it is important that black people use the two party system and not be used by one party".
In 1982, Stewart challenged Democratic incumbent Gus Savage in Illinois's 2nd congressional district. She came in third of four candidates in the primary, finishing behind incumbent Savage and CTA Chair Eugene Barnes.{{cite news|last=Kreiter|first=Marcella S.|title=Gus Savage Re-elected|newspaper=United Press International|date=March 18, 1982|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/03/18/Rep-Gus-Savage-who-had-the-worst-attendance-record/1349385275600/}} After her primary loss, Stewart chose to run for reelection in 1982 as an independent against fellow incumbent Democrat Howard B. Brookins Sr.{{cite journal|editor-last=Gherardini|editor-first=Caroline|title=Board of Elections announces the newest legislative candidates|journal=Illinois Issues|volume=8|issue=10|page=34|publisher=Sangamon State University|url=https://www.lib.niu.edu/1982/ii821034.html}} Due to the redistricting following the Cutback Amendment, her district was now the 36th.{{Cite web |last=Kinard |first=Mable |date=1982-08-24 |title=Before the Electoral Board for the Hearing and Passing Upon the Objections to Nominating Petitions of Monica Faith Stewart, Party for the November 2, 1982 General Election |url=https://app.chicagoelections.com/documents/Electoral-Board/document_710.PDF |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Chicago Board of Election Commissioners – Historical Archives 1992}} She lost the general election.{{cite journal|last1=Everson|first1=David H.|last2=Parker|first2=Joan A.|title=Legislative elections: reviving an old partnership|volume=8|issue=10|page=34|journal=Illinois Issues|publisher=Sangamon State University|url=https://www.lib.niu.edu/1982/ii821034.html}}
Stewart remained involved in politics, serving as a field coordinator for Harold Washington's successful 1983 mayoral campaign. In a 1986 special election for the Chicago City Council, Stewart ran against Robert Kellam, the same white incumbent she had faced in 1977, in an eight-candidate race in Chicago's 18th ward.{{cite news|title=7 pick at alderman's lock on ward|last1=Devall|first1=Cheryl|last2=Davis|first2=Robert|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=February 12, 1986|via=Newspapers.com|page=A1|url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-7-pick-at-aldermans-loc/126364682/ }} She was endorsed by the Chicago Tribune and by Mayor Harold Washington.{{cite news|title=Choices for the City Council|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=March 8, 1986|via=Newspapers.com | url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune/106131697/ }} Stewart, viewed as the most viable African-American opponent to Kellam, ultimately lost the election receiving 4,720 (24%) to Kellum's 12,666 votes (64%).{{cite book|last=Fremon|first=David K.|year= 1988|access-date=March 13, 2017|title=Chicago Politics Ward by Ward|url=https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0253204909|location=Bloomington, Indiana|pages=124–127|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=0-253-31344-9}} In the 1990 Democratic primary, she challenged incumbent Mary Flowers for the 31st House District seat, losing in a four-way race.{{cite news|title=Contests are close for legislature|first1=Daniel|last1=Egler|first2=Rick|last2=Pearson|first3=Paul|last3=Wagner|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=March 21, 1990|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-03-21-9001230667-story.html}}
She served as an observer with the United Nations for the 1994 South African general election. After the election, she decided to move to South Africa and opened a restaurant in Johannesburg.{{cite book|title=The Man Who Emptied Death Row: Governor George Ryan and the Politics of Crime|first=James L.|last=Merriner|year=2008|page=104|isbn=978-0-8093-2865-9|publisher=Southern Illinois University Press|location=Carbondale, Illinois|access-date=December 12, 2020|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PiV6CgAAQBAJ}} In 2000, Governor George Ryan appointed Stewart the managing director at Illinois Africa Trade and Investment Office in South Africa, one of the few U.S. state trade offices in Africa at the time.{{cite journal|editor-last=Whelpley|editor-first=Rodd|title=People: Springfield to Soweto|journal=Illinois Issues|page=37|publisher=Sangamon State University|url=https://www.lib.niu.edu/2000/ii0007.pdf}} She served in that capacity until 2009.{{cite news|title=State human services chief to lead Africa trade office: Blagojevich appointee picked by Quinn for Johannesburg post|last=Garcia|first=Monique|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=October 12, 2009|page=1.5|via=Newspapers.com | url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-state-human-services-chi/119224542/}}
She was involved in Democrats Abroad as a delegate for the 2008 presidential campaign of Barack Obama.{{cite news|last=Dowd|first=Allan|title=Overseas Democrats hold convention in Canada|date=April 12, 2008|newspaper=Reuters|access-date=June 13, 2023|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-politics-abroad/overseas-democrats-hold-convention-in-canada-idUSN1223581620080413}}
Notes
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Category:Politicians from Chicago
Category:Vassar College alumni
Category:Harvard Kennedy School alumni
Category:Women state legislators in Illinois
Category:African-American state legislators in Illinois
Category:Democratic Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives
Category:20th-century American women politicians
Category:20th-century African-American women politicians
Category:20th-century African-American politicians
Category:21st-century African-American politicians
Category:21st-century African-American women politicians
Category:20th-century members of the Illinois General Assembly