A Look Back at the First Black Woman Secretary of State
A state historical marker located on the front of the North Office Building in Harrisburg honors C. Delores Tucker, the first black Secretary of State in the nation.
Born in Philadelphia in 1927, Tucker was a successful real estate agent during the 1950s and by the 1960s, was an officer in the Philadelphia National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) working to end racism in the city's post offices and construction trades.
She led a Philadelphia delegation on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., gaining state and national prominence in the process. In 1968, Philadelphia Mayor James H.J. Tate selected her to serve on the city's Zoning Commission. Two years later, she was vice chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.
Gov. Milton Shapp appointed Tucker as Secretary of State in 1971. Under her leadership, Pennsylvania became one of the first states to pass the Equal Rights Amendment and institute voter registration by mail. Tucker was also instrumental in lowering the voting age from 21 to 18.
She left the Secretary's office in 1977 and continued working as a civil rights activist. In 1990, Tucker, along with 15 other black women and men, formed the African-American Women for Reproductive Freedom. She was the founder and national chair of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc., succeeding the Honorable Shirley Chisholm in 1992. Tucker was founder and president of the Bethune-DuBois Institute, Inc., which promoted the cultural development of black youth through scholarships and educational programs.
Beginning in 1984, she served as chairman of the Black Caucus of the Democratic National Committee for 11 years and spoke at the Democratic National Convention five times.
Tucker because a highly vocal opponent of the lyrics of "gangsta rap" music in the 1990s. She joined with Republican Bill Bennett in launching a national campaign against major music companies for supporting rap artists. Tucker picketed at stores that sold rap music and purchased stock in Sony, Time Warmer, and other corporations in order to protest rap lyrics at their shareholder meetings.
In response to her campaign against rap music, artists, including Tupac Shakur, Lil Wayne, Eminem, and Jaz-Z attacked her in their songs.
Tucker's husband, William, once said that she was "one of the most fearless individuals I have ever known." She died on October 12, 2005 at the age of 78.
Women Secretaries of State in Pennsylvania
C. Delores Tucker wasn't the only woman who served as Secretary of the Commonwealth. Here is a list of the other women who graced the office:
Ethel D. Allen (1979-1981)
Yvette Kane (1995-1998)
Kim Pizzingrilli (1998-2002)
Carol Aichele (2011-2015)
Kathy Boockvar (2019-????)
Born in Philadelphia in 1927, Tucker was a successful real estate agent during the 1950s and by the 1960s, was an officer in the Philadelphia National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) working to end racism in the city's post offices and construction trades.
She led a Philadelphia delegation on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., gaining state and national prominence in the process. In 1968, Philadelphia Mayor James H.J. Tate selected her to serve on the city's Zoning Commission. Two years later, she was vice chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.
Gov. Milton Shapp appointed Tucker as Secretary of State in 1971. Under her leadership, Pennsylvania became one of the first states to pass the Equal Rights Amendment and institute voter registration by mail. Tucker was also instrumental in lowering the voting age from 21 to 18.
She left the Secretary's office in 1977 and continued working as a civil rights activist. In 1990, Tucker, along with 15 other black women and men, formed the African-American Women for Reproductive Freedom. She was the founder and national chair of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc., succeeding the Honorable Shirley Chisholm in 1992. Tucker was founder and president of the Bethune-DuBois Institute, Inc., which promoted the cultural development of black youth through scholarships and educational programs.
Beginning in 1984, she served as chairman of the Black Caucus of the Democratic National Committee for 11 years and spoke at the Democratic National Convention five times.
Tucker because a highly vocal opponent of the lyrics of "gangsta rap" music in the 1990s. She joined with Republican Bill Bennett in launching a national campaign against major music companies for supporting rap artists. Tucker picketed at stores that sold rap music and purchased stock in Sony, Time Warmer, and other corporations in order to protest rap lyrics at their shareholder meetings.
In response to her campaign against rap music, artists, including Tupac Shakur, Lil Wayne, Eminem, and Jaz-Z attacked her in their songs.
Tucker's husband, William, once said that she was "one of the most fearless individuals I have ever known." She died on October 12, 2005 at the age of 78.
Women Secretaries of State in Pennsylvania
C. Delores Tucker wasn't the only woman who served as Secretary of the Commonwealth. Here is a list of the other women who graced the office:
Ethel D. Allen (1979-1981)
Yvette Kane (1995-1998)
Kim Pizzingrilli (1998-2002)
Carol Aichele (2011-2015)
Kathy Boockvar (2019-????)
