Purvis Becomes First African-American on Democratic Cloakroom Staff

Jacques Purvis, a 2006 Silver Spring Alumni initiate, was promoted in September to be the first African-American in the nation’s history to work on the United States Senate Democratic Cloakroom staff. The cloakroom is a private lounge off a legislative chamber where senators deliberate on methods of moving legislation. Purvis assists the Democratic Secretary and Floor Staff while working with three other cloakroom assistants to help plan procedures and execute the day-today activities on the Senate Floor. Prior to
his promotion, Purvis was the front office manager of Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
Purvis earned a B.S. in psychology and a B.A. in political science, cum laude, from Howard University in 2005.

December 2006, The Kappa Alpha Psi Journal

The Kappa Alpha Psi Journal

Floor Statement Announcing Senate Leave

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Jacques Purvis: Young and In Charge

It’s not everyday a sophomore comes on Howard’s campus and begins taking over, but that’s exactly how it happened with sophomore political science and psychology major, Jacques Purvis.

Purvis, from Houston, decided to step into the political scene of Howard at an early age. Along with a few friends, he decided he would bring a different perspective to the University.

Purvis is currently the president of the Arts and Sciences Student Council (ASSC). Along with Dan Blackmore and Jason Ravin, also sophomores, he decided to try and give the Student Council a new edge.

Long Way From Humble

I was honored to be featured in Roll Call earlier this year.

Growing up in small Humble, Texas, Jacques Purvis felt like an outsider who could find a sense of himself only through playing sports.

Today, he’s a Senate floor assistant in the one of the least diverse places in Washington, and still in some ways an outsider who is seeking a way to fit in.

Purvis, 26, is one of two African-Americans working on the Senate floor.

In fact, Purvis was the first — and for much of the time he was there, the only — black staffer to work in the Democratic Cloakroom. Calling his August 2006 to January 2008 Cloakroom tenure “a bright spot” in his career, he said he felt privileged every day to work closely with the Democratic Senators.