Zerlina chats with Mississippi Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Ty Pinkins + U.S. Representative for South Carolina's 6th Congressional District Congressman James Clyburn!

Guests

Ty Pinkins

Frustrated by the lack of action from lawmakers on the issues facing people in Mississippi–and believing that the hard-working voters of Mississippi deserve much better–Ty Pinkins decided to run for office: the United States Senate in 2024.

The son of a tractor driver, Ty doesn’t come from a wealthy family. He was born and raised in the small town of Rolling Fork, and is a “proud son of the Mississippi Delta."

He grew up on cotton farms. His family moved from plantation to plantation, depending on where his dad found work driving tractors. When Ty was around 13 years old, he started chopping cotton in the summers to help his parents make ends meet. He worked in cotton fields throughout his teenage years.

Chopping cotton was hot, dusty, grueling, back-breaking work. Even at such a young age, he knew how his parents were struggling to provide him and his family the most basic necessities, including the roof over their heads—Ty wanted to carry his own weight. Working in the fields taught him the value of hard work and perseverance.

Although Ty’s parents never received much formal learning, they instilled in him the importance of a good education. Because of this, he became the first in his family to graduate high school and the first to attend college. While at Tougaloo College, he worked as a waiter at a local restaurant and sold his plasma at a local blood bank to earn enough to feed himself.

Because of financial hardships, Ty made the decision to leave college and enlist in the military. A decorated veteran of the U.S. Army, he served on active duty for 21 years, including three combat tours in Iraq, and was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions. Throughout his military career, Ty never forgot the importance his parents instilled in him about completing his education. He continued attending classes on military bases around the world—finally earning his undergraduate degree while stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Several years later, his military career culminated in the White House--serving both Republican and Democratic Presidents.

Ty is a dedicated public servant. Because of his upbringing in the Delta, Ty has always believed in serving in low-income communities just like the one that gave him so much despite it having so little to give in material terms. Upon retiring from the military, he co-founded The Pyramid Project, a nonprofit organization serving and inspiring youth from low-income communities by providing career and academic-related resources and mentorship opportunities.

Rep. James Clyburn

James E. Clyburn is the Assistant Democratic Leader in the United States House of Representatives and Chairman of the Democratic Faith Working Group. He previously served in the post from 2011 to 2018 and served as Majority Whip from 2007 to 2010 and 2019 to 2022, making him the first African American to serve multiple terms as Majority Whip. A native son of South Carolina, Clyburn has represented the state’s Sixth Congressional District since 1993.

Congressman Clyburn’s humble beginnings in Sumter, South Carolina, as the eldest son of an activist, fundamentalist minister and an independent, civic-minded beautician, grounded him securely in family, faith, and public service. A 1961 graduate of South Carolina State he began his professional career as a public-school teacher in Charleston, SC.

He later served as an employment counselor, and director of two youth and community development programs. In 1971, he joined the staff of Governor John C. West, becoming the first African American advisor to a South Carolina governor. In 1974 Governor West appointed him South Carolina Human Affairs Commissioner where he served until 1992 when he retired from state government to run for Congress.

When he came to Congress in 1993, Congressman Clyburn was elected co-president of his freshman class. He was subsequently elected Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Vice Chair, and Chair, of the House Democratic Caucus. From 2011 to 2018, he served as Assistant Democratic Leader. In addition to serving as Whip, Congressman Clyburn chairs the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis.

Congressman Clyburn has led efforts to preserve and restore historic buildings on the campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). He sponsored legislation creating the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, the Congaree National Park, the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park and expanding the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site to South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and Washington, DC.