Congressman Emanuel Cleaver 

On November 2, 2004 , Cleaver was elected to the United States Congress. Congressman Cleaver represents the 5th District of Kansas City, Missouri. Cleaver has a long and distinguished career in public service. He was elected Mayor of Kansas City in March of 1991, the first African-American mayor in the City's history. He was re-elected to a second term in March 1995. In May of 1999, the Kansas City Board of Parks and Recreations Commissioners honored the former mayor by naming one of the area's longest streets, “ Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard”. Cleaver developed a reputation as a national leader and served two terms as president of the 426 - member National Conference of Black Mayors. He also served as Chairman of the United States Conference of Mayors Committee on Crime and Social Justice. After leaving office he served as a Special Urban Advisor to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Andrew Cuomo. As Mayor Cleaver worked to improve the city's landscape and infrastructure, he championed the massive Brush Creek Flood Control and Beautification project, a new Chouteau Bridge , an expanded Bartle Hall Convention Center , an improved zoo, the Bruce R. Watkins Roadway and the Ilus W. Davis Civic Mall in the downtown area of Kansas City . Cleaver's leadership resulted in the designation of Kansas City as an “Enhanced Enterprise Zone,” with a consequent million award for the construction of a new industrial park on the city's West Side and economic development in the city's historic 18th and Vine District. Cleaver says, “Prairie View has been Cleaver University for a major part of the 20th Century. “My entry to Prairie View followed a family tradition. I enjoyed my years there and attribute much of my success to the leadership development curriculum on ‘The Hill'.”