Atta Girl! - of the Week.

Julia Carson

Julia Carson lost her battle with lung cancer last Saturday.

She was the first woman and first African American ever elected to congress from Indiana.

She was a tireless supporter of the poor and the minorities and gave the Indianapolis political scene a show that it will likely never see again.

Known as much for her outrageous Hats, scarves and wigs as she was her politics she was always entertaining whether you agreed with her positions or not.

Despite their best efforts, the Republican Party could not defeat her. She would somehow manage to rally center township into showing up at the polls in numbers the republican party could only dream of.

She was always doing or saying something that was borderline crazy and the local media ate it up! (on a side note, i applaude the local media for the stories and tributes they ran following her death)

My philosophy has always been that her support by the people was due in large part to her willingness to "Show Up" whether it was a pancake breakfast at the first baptist church or a ribbon cutting ceremony at Sylvia's beauty shop. She put herself in places where she was accessible to her constituency. She also is the highest ranking elected official to ever participate in the Indianapolis Gay Pride parade back in 2006. You Go Gurl!

Considered a Saint by some and Satan by others she always stood up for those whom she felt needed a voice. The black, the gay, the poor, the Jews and the elderly all consider her a friend.

I'm sure that Heaven is a lovely place and that God treats everybody with love and respect. But imagine if you can if God accidentally forgot about somebody one day and the visit he would soon be paid by Ms. Julia Carson!