Amy Wilkinson '78 shared her winding career path from aspiring radio journalist to a political appointee for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to a small group of students at the Tucker Foundation yesterday evening.
In HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Wilkinson, as the General Deputy Assistant Secretary, oversaw the enforcement of the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
Wilkinson was "in total heaven" during her one-and-a-half years at HUD, combining her expertise in policy and legal issues with a deep-rooted commitment to civil rights.
But with the new Bush administration, Wilkinson's path has taken another sharp turn, as political appointees such as herself were left to find new employment.
While at Dartmouth, Wilkinson -- a member of one of the first co-educated classes -- immersed herself in radio news and considered journalism work upon graduation.
Yet in her first job, at the National Urban Coalition, she gained exposure to urban issues and the non-profit sector. Her employer convinced her to go to law instead of journalism school, and in 1980 Wilkinson enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania's law school.
She saw how easy it was for students to "get swept into the world of big law firms," and she herself joined a major law firm after a clerkship at Philadelphia's federal district court.
And although she would hesitate to characterize her 11 years as "enjoyable," she holds no regrets about embarking on the valuable learning experience.
Learning how to "cross every 't' and dot every 'i,'" Wilkinson learned to be an effective advocate and deal with a broad range of personalities.
Trying experiences -- such as long litigation meetings on Superfund cases -- trained her well for her work for the city of Philadelphia and HUD.
Three years after becoming a partner at her firm, a call from an old friend landed Wilkinson a job with the city of Philadelphia.
After two years dealing with Philadelphia budget issues and ethics, she received an opportunity to join HUD down in Washington D.C.
No longer in the role of a lawyer, Wilkinson applied her legal knowledge in managing the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, a division of HUD responsible for investigating complaints of housing discrimination and enforcing the Fair Housing Act.
Balancing congressional inquiries and calls from the media, she had "no typical day," starting that with a daily to-do list of 10 items she was "lucky to complete two," as 20 new items came to fill her list.
Yet she worked hard to ensure that discrimination complaints -- by law required to be resolved within 100 days -- were given the timely attention required.
But discrimination in housing is rarely clear-cut, according to Wilkinson. "Sometimes it's not so overt; sometimes it's just a feeling," she explained.
In one case, a white family was promised the rental of a certain home, but when the lenders saw the couple's adopted African American child, they were informed the house was no longer available.
The child, sensing he was to blame, tried to set himself on fire to turn himself white, Wilkinson said.
Upon determination that there was indeed discrimination, the couple was awarded 60,000 dollars for the emotional harm inflicted. However, most of HUD's cases are settled not through the courts but through conciliation with the landlord, she said.
The most common forms of discrimination encountered, according to Wilkinson, are based on race and disability.
Since clearing out her desk on the 19th, Wilkinson is now "reflecting, getting energized before looking for a new job."
As one committed to civil rights, she hopes to remain in Washington, either in a civil rights organization or on Capital Hill.
