A Lifelong Passion

A Louisiana native, Brazile started her political involvement early, volunteering for local city council elections by the age of nine, and working her way up to become a precinct coordinator for the 1976 Jimmy Carter presidential campaign at the age of 16.

Brazile-who last year became the first African-American woman to ever manage a leading presidential candidate's campaign-says she was inspired into public service by the civil rights movement in the South.

"I longed for the day when African-Americans and women and minorities would not have to fight to end discrimination to participate in the political process," Brazile says.

A desire to help the working poor also influenced Brazile, who was one of nine children. Her father worked as a janitor and her mother worked as a maid.

"All my life I've wanted to do something to help people," Brazile says. "I know what it's like to live in poverty. I know what it's like to go to bed hungry."

After graduating from Louisiana State University in 1981 with a degree in psychology, Brazile began her meteoric rise through the behind-the-scenes world of politics, working on 18 mayoral, 55 congressional and six presidential campaigns before becoming Gore's campaign manager last fall at the age of 40.