C. Delores Tucker

Career Civil rights movement Tucker became involved with the civil rights movement when she registered Black voters for a Philadelphia mayoral election in 1951. She was the convening founder and national chair of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc. (NCBW), having succeeded Shirley Chisholm in 1992.

Political In 1968, Philadelphia mayor James Tate appointed Tucker to the Zoning Board of Adjustment, making her the first African American and the first woman to serve in that position.

In 1971, Tucker became the first black female Secretary of State when Pennsylvania Governor Milton Shapp appointed her Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. During her tenure, she instituted the first Commission on the Status of Women. Tucker also was responsible for the Governor's appointment of more women judges and more women and African Americans to boards and commissions than ever before. She also led the effort to make Pennsylvania one of the first states to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). As Chief of Elections of Pennsylvania, she instituted a voter registration by mail and reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 years of age. A three-month investigation revealed that Tucker received $66,931 in honorariums from January 1975 to April 30, 1977. Two years later, one of Tucker's successors as Secretary of the Commonwealth, Ethel D. Allen, was also fired for using public employees to write speeches.

She was the founder and president of the Bethune-DuBois Institute, Inc., which she established in 1991 to promote the cultural development of African American youth through scholarships and educational programs.

Media In 1988, Tucker made an extended appearance on a British television discussion programme, After Dark.

Hip-hop/rap music

Tucker dedicated much of the last decade of her life to condemning sexually explicit lyrics in rap and hip-hop tracks, citing a concern that the lyrics were misogynistic and threatened the moral foundation of the African American community.

Called "narrow-minded" by some rappers who often mentioned her in their lyrics, Tucker picketed stores that sold rap music and bought stock in Sony, Time Warner, and other companies in order to protest hip-hop at their shareholders' meetings. She also fought against the NAACP's decision to nominate late rapper Tupac Shakur for one of its Image Awards This case was eventually dismissed.

Other rappers have taken similar stances. In his song "Church for Thugs", The Game raps "I've got more hatred in my soul than Pac had for Delores Tucker." Jay-Z chimes in as well, with the lines "I don't care if you're C. Dolores Tucker or you're Bill O'Reilly, you only riling me up," from The Black Album's "Threat." Lil' Kim also referenced her in a leftover track, entitled "Rockin' It", from her second studio album. Kim raps "C. Delores T., Screw her, I never knew her", after Tucker dubbed her music as "gangsta porno rap" and "filth".

Much of KRS-One and Channel Live's "Free Mumia" is a direct criticism of what the MCs see as Tucker's misplaced energy. Lil Wayne also referenced her a couple times, once on his leftover song "Million Dollar Baby" rapping "Can't be banned I'm sorry Miss Delores" and more recently on his Carter IV album song "Megaman" rapping "The heater ima Tucker, Tucker, like Delores." Eminem referenced her in the song "Rap Game" by D12 rapping "Tell that C. Delores Tucker slut to suck a dick". Tucker later went on to serve on the advisory board of the Parents Television Council until her death in 2005.

Accolades Selected as one of "25 of the World's Most Intriguing People" by People magazine, Tucker was also selected as a People Magazine 1996 Yearbook honoree. She was featured in the inaugural issue of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s George magazine for her crusade against gangsta rap. In addition, Tucker has been acknowledged for her deep concern for children by First Lady Hillary Clinton in the book It Takes a Village. The National Women's Political Caucus and Redbook also named her as the woman best qualified to be a United States Ambassador to the United Nations.

Personal life and death In 1951, Tucker married William Tucker, a Philadelphia real estate agent. Tucker herself had worked in real estate and insurance sales early in her career. Tucker had no children.

She died on October 12, 2005, in East Norriton Township, Pennsylvania, at the age of 78. She is interred at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.