John Conyers

John Conyers was a Michigan Democrat who represented Detroit in the U.S. House from 1965 until 2017, serving 52 years in Congress. A civil-rights advocate and founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, he chaired both the Government Operations and Judiciary Committees. He repeatedly introduced legislation recognizing Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a federal holiday, which became law in 1983. Conyers was also the first African American to become Dean of the House, reflecting his historic length of service.