Former U.S. Rep. John Conyers dies

Former U.S. Rep. John Conyers, the longest-serving African American congressman, died of natural causes on Sunday at his Detroit home. He was 90 years old.

What was Conyers known for? First elected in 1964, the Michigan Democrat fought for civil rights for more than 50 years in Washington. For 15 years, he pushed to make Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a national holiday, finally succeeding in the mid-1980s. He also helped found the Congressional Black Caucus.

Conyers remained popular in his district despite several scandals. He regularly won reelection with more than 80 percent of the vote, even after his wife went to prison for taking a bribe. He ultimately resigned in 2017 while facing an ethics probe following multiple sexual harassment accusations.

Dig deeper: Read Evan Wilt’s report for WORLD Digital on Conyers’ resignation.