Fort Worth Native Makes History as Interim NAACP President & CEO

On the streets of Historic Southside Fort Worth, Lorraine Miller first got her start in politics. It is a journey that took her from Como High School to Capitol Hill.

Miller was active at the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, where she learned to advocate for civil rights and register new voters.

"One of the mantras of the Civil Rights movement was, I think, people had to participate in the voting process," Miller said.

Now, Miller is the interim president and CEO of the NAACP, the nation's oldest and largest civil rights group.

"We tweet, we're bloggers, we do all that," Miller said.

And while she has a 21st century outlook on the future, she's old school when it comes to what the organization is all about.

"Racism and discrimination are evil," Miller said. "And we have to do things to stop it. And we have to bring it to people's attention."

Miller is no stranger to grabbing people's attention. Before this job, she worked for years as the Clerk for the United States House of Representatives. The position calls the Congress to order, certifies all bills generated and passed by the House and maintains a permanent record of all documents generated by the House of Representatives.

"It's an enormous responsibility." said Miller. "It's a 24 hour a day, seven day a week job that you never get away from. But it's very rewarding, because you're working for the entire House, not just one side, one party."

Despite her success on the national stage, Miller said she's hasn't forgotten her local roots.

And while Miller spent decades shattering glass ceilings and breaking down barriers, she got there, she said, by doing the right thing.

"Be hard workers and do your best." said Miller.

"I've tried to treat people the way I want to be treated. And 99.99 percent of the time, that works."

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