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KUHF-Houston Public Radio's
"This I Believe" with State Senator Rodney Ellis
August 7, 2009
Paul Pendergraft
Senator Ellis' public service began a generation ago while
working for the late Congressman Mickey Leland. The impact of
that relationship still motivates Senator Ellis today, 20 years
after the Congressman's untimely death and it's the focus of the
Senator’s essay for KUHF's This I Believe.
Rodney Ellis is a native Houstonian and is serving his sixth
term in the Texas Senate, representing his home town. Ellis’
public service has deep roots and dates back more than 20 years.
Prior to his current office, Rodney Ellis served three terms on
Houston City Council. Before that, he served as an aide to
Congressman Mickey Leland and that’s where Rodney Ellis learned
the importance of public service. The political lessons learned
from Congressman Mickey Leland are still being practiced by
Senator Ellis today. Ellis believes he’s a better man, a better
husband, a better father and a better public servant because of
Mickey Leland’s guiding spirit.
Ellis holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Southern University,
a master’s degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public
Affairs and a law degree from the University of Texas, School of
Law.
Rodney Ellis is married to Licia Green-Ellis and has four
children.
Here’s Senator Rodney Ellis with his essay for KUHF’s This I
Believe.
“I believe individuals can impact the course of the world beyond
the span of their natural lifetimes.
The late Congressman Mickey Leland was a friend and a true
mentor for me and many others. He dedicated his life to giving
back and championing the causes of poor and disempowered people
around the world.
As a member of Congress, he fought tirelessly for those less
privileged on issues such as affordable housing, universal
access to health care, and civil rights. Mickey's efforts and
passion to serve others could not be confined to the boundaries
of his congressional district in Houston, or the borders of this
nation, because Mickey Leland understood that the struggle for
human rights is global and that, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
wrote from a Birmingham jail, "injustice anywhere is a threat to
justice everywhere."
My life in public service began as an aide to Mickey Leland in
the 1980's. Since that time, I have gone from an aide to a
member of Congress to a member of the Texas State Senate. This
position allows me to represent over 700,000 people of various
racial, social, and economic backgrounds. This has given me the
opportunity to live my life fighting for the common good that
Mickey Leland so passionately believed in.
Mickey inspired me to advocate for criminal justice reforms to
prevent people from being wrongfully incarcerated. Mickey's life
also inspired me to create one of the largest student financial
aid programs in the history of Texas to help more low-income
kids in our state go to college and also to develop the
Legislative Internship Program, patterned after a program he
started when I worked for him. In the last 18 years, this
internship program has given over 300 students the opportunity
to become key public policy makers in government.
Throughout my various positions and experiences, Mickey Leland's
legacy has remained a constant motivation. It is with me in
every fight on the floor of the Texas Senate, in every country I
visit, in every interaction with a constituent, and in every
lesson I try to teach my staff, interns, and my own children.
I believe social progress is made by individuals who
acknowledge, embrace, and sacrifice for the common good and, in
so doing, inspire others. Congressman Mickey Leland was the
embodiment of that ideal. I'm proud to have known Mickey. I'm
proud to have been inspired by him and proud to continue his
good work. This I believe.”
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1249415640
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