Vincent Evans: Executive director, Congressional Black Caucus
Vincent Evans, the executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), says he has "one of the greatest jobs in America."
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) recruited Evans for the role nearly three years ago — poaching him from Vice President Harris's office, where he served as deputy director of public engagement and intergovernmental affairs. Before that, he served as Southern political director for President Biden's 2020 campaign.
"I always wanted to be in public service," Evans said. "I used to participate as a Senate page back home in the Florida Capitol every year in high school, and so when it came time for me to go off to college, I knew that I wanted to be in Florida's capital city in Tallahassee."
Evans grew up outside of Jacksonville, Fla., with his father and looks back on his childhood with mixed emotions. They lived together in a one-bedroom apartment, and his father worked two — sometimes three — jobs to make ends meet. When his father remarried, Evans's stepmother struggled with addiction.
"I often think about that time with tears in my eyes," Evans told The Hill.
But Evans's family never stopped encouraging him to reach for his dreams.
"My family encouraged me that there was something good and great in me that would manifest," Evans said. "I never doubted the fact that I would have a journey that would reflect my highest ideals and dreams and hopes ... but it was not always clear how the path would come together."
Evans attended Florida A&M, one of the nation's largest historically Black universities, where he met Al Lawson Jr., a state senator at the time.
Lawson became a mentor to Evans, and as Evans's friends headed to the nation's capital, he stayed behind until the Democrat was elected to Congress.
"I always said I wanted to come to Washington with someone that I helped get there, and that's exactly what happened," Evans said.
As the CBC's executive director, Evans enjoys digging deep into policy — and working across the political aisles.
"We have a saying at the CBC: no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, just permanent interests," Evans said. "And every day I get to hear about what those permanent interests are and how we can advance them on behalf of Black Americans."
