MEET WILLIE MAE

Willie Mae Allen, a resident of Mattapan, is the mother of four children, Kelly, Bruce, Michelle, and Arian, and grandmother of five and great grandmother of one.  She is one of fifteen children born to the late Charles and Hettie Clyburn in Camden, South Carolina.  After graduating from Jackson High School, she moved to Boston, Massachusetts to pursue higher education.  She received both a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Suffolk University.  She earned certificates in Executive Property Management Program from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Massachusetts Great and General Court Legislative Branch Program from the University of Massachusetts in Massachusetts.  She is the first cousin of US Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, (D-SC), and sister of State Representative William Clyburn of Aiken, S.C. who serves as Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee for the House of Representatives.  She was married to the late Charles J. Allen, who was honored by former Governor Dukakis for voting in every election for 50 consecutive years.

Willie Mae Allen is no neophyte to democratic politics.  She has attended every Democratic National Convention as a Delegate or Alternate since 1980.  She is presently serving as a twenty-year elected member of the Democratic State Committee. In 1993, she was elected to the Massachusetts Electoral College.

She is the author of the Willie Allen Amendment, commonly referred to as the Delegate add-on amendment, which ensures minority representation at Massachusetts Democratic State Conventions.  The Amendment has been expanded to include the physically challenged and members of the Gay and Lesbian Community.

Willie Mae Allen has received numerous awards for her outstanding work in the Boston community, among them are:  350 Blacks Who Have Made a Difference in Massachusetts Black History, Prince Hall Freemasonry Community Leadership Award, NAACP Community Service Award, The Massachusetts Democratic State Committee, Mattapan Civic Improvement Association, Exodus Outreach Recovery Program, METCO, AIDS Action Committee, Boston Central Elder Services, NARAL, Mattapan CDC, and Codman Square NDC.

Willie Mae Allen is a member of the: Democratic State Committee; National Conference of State Legislators, Massachusetts Women Legislative Caucus Executive Board, Massachusetts Black Caucus, National Organization of Black Elected Legislators, Prince Hall Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, Jurisdiction of Massachusetts, Reggie Lewis Athletic Center Sensational Seniors and TOPS.  She is also a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, NAACP, and the Morning Star Baptist Church.