The nation is mourning the loss of a pioneering leader.
Alexis Herman, who made history as the first African American to serve as U.S. Secretary of Labor, has passed away.
Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Herman’s journey was rooted in a deep commitment to civil rights and economic empowerment, the Alabama Business Hall of Fame reports. After beginning her career as a social worker, she quickly rose through the ranks of public service, becoming a vital advocate for fair employment practices and worker rights. Her leadership caught national attention when President Bill Clinton appointed her as Secretary of Labor in 1997, a role in which she broke barriers and redefined possibility for generations to come, becoming the first African American woman to ever hold the position.
Throughout her tenure, Herman fought to increase the minimum wage, championed worker protections, and led efforts to strengthen job training programs. Her legacy is not only marked by policy wins but by the doors she opened for countless Black professionals in government and business. Under her leadership, unemployment reached a 30 year low and she received numerous accolades for her service including 30 honorary doctorates, and an induction into the Minority Business Hall of Fame and the National Women’s History Project. She was also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., serving on its Executive Board.
In a statement honoring her life, President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Clinton said:
“Hilary and I are deeply saddened by the loss of Alexis Herman, our friend of nearly fifty years. Alexis was gifted in so many ways. She was a skillful and creative administrator who, at 29, became the youngest person to direct the women’s bureau at the Department of Labor under President Carter…Throughout her career, Alexis worked to empower women and strengthen families…She also lent her considerable political skills to our presidential campaigns, and those of Jesse Jackson and John Kerry. In every effort, she lifted people with her unfailing optimism and energy. We’ll miss her very much.”
Today, we remember Alexis Herman as a true trailblazer whose work changed the face of leadership in America. Rest in power to a true pioneer!
Cover photo: Alexis M. Herman, First African American U.S. Secretary of Labor, Has Joined the Ancestors/Photo credit: Entergy/SEC.gov