Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979. Member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from 1979 to 1980 and 1992 to 2008.
Civil rights activist and president of branches of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Louisiana and Los Angeles.
Co-founder and owner of the Aquarian Spiritual Center and the Aquarian Bookshop, a black-owned bookstore specializing in materials relevant to African American politics and life.