18 | NOVEMBER 17 • 2022 

R

ep. Barbara Lawrence, 
who earned her 
political chops in 
Southfield as mayor and city 
council member working 
alongside the Detroit Jewish 
community, is finishing out 
her last term in Congress.
Lawrence, who first went to 
Congress in 2015, announced 
her retirement earlier this year. 
She recently sat down with the 
Jewish News to reflect on her 
congressional career and her 
plans for the future.
“It’s bittersweet,” Lawrence 
said. “I am so excited to turn 
the page and have another 
chapter in my life, but the 
bitter part of it is leaving my 
colleagues in Congress, which 
is really like a family.”
Lawrence said that one of 
the highlights of her time 
in Washington, D.C., was 
launching the Congressional 
Caucus on Black-Jewish 
Relations, which she did after 
chatting on the House floor 
with the late Civil Rights icon 
and Democrat from Georgia 
John Lewis, who hosted an 

annual dinner for Jewish and 
Black House members.
Lawrence and Rep. Debbie 
Wasserman Schultz, a Florida 
Democrat, established the 
caucus in June 2019 at the 
annual conference of the 
American Jewish Committee. 
It included Lawrence, Wasser-
man Schultz, Lewis, and 
Republicans Lee Zeldin of New 
York, who is Jewish, and Will 
Hurd of Texas, who is Black. 
The 64-member caucus 
focused on establishing a 
bipartisan baseline of what is 
antisemitic or racist, setting 
down red lines at a time of 

increasing polarization. They 
also held several forums in 
person and virtually with 
grassroots members of both 
communities. For example, 
the caucus brought a group of 
community leaders to both the 
Zekelman Holocaust Center 
in Farmington Hills and the 
Charles H. Wright Museum of 
African American History in 
Detroit. 
Lawrence adds the 
caucus was instrumental 
in shepherding through 
legislation that expanded 
funding for prosecuting hate 
crimes.
Lee Zeldin is the only 
Republican left on the Black-
Jewish Caucus (Will Hurd of 
Texas left Congress in the last 
cycle). Zeldin, however, lost 
his race for governor of New 
York on Nov. 8 and is about to 
leave Congress as well. 
“Racism and antisemitism 
are both increasing,” said 
Wasserman Schultz, who 
with Lawrence’s and Zeldin’s 
departures will remain the only 
chair of the caucus. “We’ve had 

a good relationship that we can 
build on within this caucus, 
and it’s really both a blessing 
that we can come together and 
heartbreaking that we even 
need to.”
The caucus is about to 
be composed entirely of 
Democrats. Lawrence recently 
told the Jewish Telegraphic 
Agency that she hasn’t been 
able to bring in any other 
Republicans to keep the caucus 
going beyond her departure.
In a statement to the JTA, 
Zeldin said it was key for 
Republicans to sign on. He also 
praised Lawrence for growing 
the caucus. “Congresswoman 
Lawrence has been a pleasure 
to work with throughout this 
effort, and she has greatly 
helped the caucus grow in both 
membership and influence,” 
he said. 

OUR COMMUNITY

Rep. Brenda Lawrence refl
 ects on 
her time in Congress.

Leaving Of
 ce,
 Coming Home

JACKIE HEADAPOHL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Reps. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), 
Debbie Wasserman Schultz 
(D-FL) and Lee Zeldin (R-NY) 
announce the launch of the 
bipartisan Congressional Caucus 
on Black-Jewish Relations, which 
AJC helped facilitate in 2019.

Brenda 
Lawrence

