Alexis Herman, from Jim Crow to first Black labor secretary, dead at 77

Alexis Herman, a groundbreaking federal official who served as the first Black U.S. Secretary of Labor, has died in Washington following a brief illness. She was 77 years old.

Her family announced the news on April 26, the day after her passing, followed by an official release from the White House.

“Her career was defined by her commitment to public service and her dedication to American workers,” said current Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

“As a leader in business, government, and her community, she was a trailblazer who dedicated her life to strengthening America’s workforce and creating better lives for hardworking families.”

Born in segregated Mobile, Alabama, in 1947, Herman was raised in a well-connected African-American family led by her father Alex, a former Negro League baseball player who became the first Black politician in post-Reconstruction Alabama. He was a victim of White supremacist violence during her childhood, while her mother, Gloria Caponis, also suffered physically at the hands of local segregationists.

Raised Catholic, Herman attended Most Pure Heart of Mary Church in Mobile, graduating in 1965 from the parochial high school, where she was taught by White priests and nuns, including members of the Josephites. Even as a child, she engaged in activism against racist educational policies in the Archdiocese of Mobile, resulting in her temporary suspension from Heart of Mary High.

Herman was educated by the Dominicans and Jesuits in her early college years before transferring to Xavier University of Louisiana, the nation’s Catholic HBCU, where she graduated with a sociology degree in 1969.

Herman began her career in Mobile, where she worked to desegregate Catholic schools, including her alma mater. She later served as a social worker with Catholic Charities of South Mississippi, where she also fought for the inclusion of African Americans in local industry.

She made further inroads in the labor field when she moved to Atlanta in the early 1970s, making connections with veteran Civil Rights activists Dorothy Height, Bayard Rustin, and A. Philip Randolph. Her work at the time consisted of advocacy for Black women in managerial roles in the Deep South. After similar work in New York, she was brought on by President Jimmy Carter in 1977 to lead the Women’s Bureau of the Department of Labor, becoming the youngest-ever in the role at age 29.

Often focusing on the concerns of Black women in her service at the federal level, Herman transitioned into electoral politics in the 1980s, serving on the presidential campaigns of the Rev. Jesse Jackson. 

She later held top positions in the Democratic National Committee during the 1992 campaign of Bill Clinton, who won the White House and appointed Herman as his public liaison director. He later named her labor secretary during his second term.

“She was a very valuable cabinet member and a good friend, especially after the devastating loss of our mutual friend, Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, and his delegation in Croatia in 1996,” said Clinton in a statement.

“In every effort, she lifted people with her unfailing optimism and energy. We’ll miss her very much. Our hearts and prayers are with her family and all who loved and admired her.”

Among Herman’s achievements as labor secretary were her handling of the 1997 UPS workers' strike, multiple raises to the federal minimum wage, and her promotion of more developed child labor laws.

More broadly, she was seen as a steadying force in national Democratic politics of the late 20th century, both from the White House and as an experienced campaign official.

“On top of her work with numerous administrations, she also faithfully served her Party, and those contributions can’t be overstated,” said DNC Chair Ken Martin.

“Following the 2004 presidential election loss, she even stepped up to serve as co-chair of the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, helping to modernize the Democratic Party and opening the door for the historic presidency of Barack Obama.”

Following her exit from the White House, Herman served on additional Democratic presidential campaigns before serving on various corporate boards, including Coca-Cola, Toyota, MGM, and Sodexo.

In recent years, Herman was noted for her efforts to support Catholic education in her hometown, especially following the Archdiocese of Mobile’s attempt to close Most Pure Heart of Mary School, her alma mater, in 2022. Herman helped organize a half-million-dollar fundraising efforts and contributed nearly $20,000 herself to keep the school open. It was one of her final major actions on the public scene.

Herman was predeceased by her husband, Dr. Charles L. Franklin Jr., and is survived by her stepchildren Charles J. Franklin, Michelle Franklin, and Shari Smith.

A celebration of life service for Herman has been scheduled for Wednesday, May 14, at the Washington National Cathedral at 10am ET. RSVPs are requested and can be completed online. The family has not publicly communicated details about burial plans. 

Herman's alma mater, Xavier University of Louisiana, has publicized the Alexis Herman Memorial Fund to receive donations.

Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.

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