Curtis Graves, a well-known Civil Rights leader, has died at the age of 84. From 1967 to 1973, Graves was a member of the Texas House of Representatives. He was one of the first three Black people to be chosen to the House in 1966. Graves was also the father of Gizelle Bryant, a star of the show Real Housewives of Potomac.
Bryant wrote a moving tribute to her father on social media, saying, “Thank you for being the best Dad a little girl could ever want or need. I’ll miss you for the rest of my life.
Bryant, her father, and her three children were all in the picture.
After his long and successful time in politics, Graves worked for NASA for 30 years. At first, he worked in the Academic Affairs Division of NASA. Later, he became the agency’s Director for Civil Affairs.
He went to Texas Southern University and Princeton University and got degrees from both of them.
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In 2016, Bryant posted a picture of her father with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., along with the words “Love this!” “Proud girl.”
Graves’ “distinguished public service career” was recognized by Congress in 2015.
The acknowledgment read: “On behalf of the people of Maryland’s Eighth Congressional District, and in anticipation of his 77th birthday on August 26, 2015, I would like to thank Curtis M. Graves for his lifelong career of public service and for his many contributions to our nation,” “U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, who was a Maryland Congressman” at the time, said at the time. “I hope the best for him and his family in the years to come.”
Love this! Proud daughter! https://t.co/kyeHEQB9Ry
— Gizelle Bryant (@GizelleBryant) February 11, 2016
Houston Style Magazine says that Graves was also a fine art photographer whose work can be found in businesses and private libraries all over the United States. His photos were shown in museums and art galleries in Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, Louisiana, and New York. The article says, “Graves’ photographs show how he saw the world: with hope, but also with a sense of reality.”