Iota Phi Theta’s Bobby Rush: From Black Panther Leader to Congressman

Bobby Lee Rush, born in 1946 in Albany, Georgia, is a former U.S. Representative, civil rights activist, and pastor whose career has spanned grassroots organizing, political office, and public ministry. A co-founder of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, Rush served in Congress from 1993 until his retirement in 2023, representing Illinois’s 1st District—one of the nation’s most historically Black districts.

Before entering electoral politics, Rush was active in the civil rights movement and served as defense minister for the Illinois Black Panthers. Following the 1969 killing of Fred Hampton, Rush became acting chairman of the Illinois chapter and helped coordinate community programs, including free sickle cell anemia testing. He was briefly imprisoned in 1972 on a weapons charge and distanced himself from the Panthers by the mid-1970s, citing a shift in the group’s priorities.

Rush began his formal education after leaving the Panthers, earning a Bachelor’s degree from Roosevelt University and a Master’s in political science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He later completed a Master of Theological Studies from McCormick Theological Seminary.

In 1992, Rush was elected to Congress and maintained his seat for 15 consecutive terms. He is the only person to have defeated Barack Obama in an election, doing so in a 2000 Democratic primary. During his time in office, he focused on urban development, public health, and telecommunications access. He also served as a pastor and remained active in community work throughout his career.

Rush is a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., a historically Black fraternity founded in 1963 during the Civil Rights Movement. While his public life is often associated with activism and politics, his affiliation with Iota Phi Theta reflects a parallel commitment to the values of scholarship, citizenship, and service that define Black Greek-letter organizations.

His long-standing role in Black political life and his membership in Iota Phi Theta position him as a figure whose life intersects with many of the major currents of 20th and 21st-century Black history from grassroots resistance to institutional power.