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{{short description|American politician from Indiana}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name=Vanessa Summers
| image name=Vanessa Summers at Indiana Legislative Black Caucus Event (cropped).png
| caption=Summers in 2020
| state_house=Indiana
| state=Indiana
| district=99th
| term_start= June 7, 1991
| preceded=[[Joseph W. Summers]]
| succeeded=Incumbent
| party=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| birth_date= {{birth date and age|1958|4|24}}
| birth_place= [[New York City, New York]], United States
| death_date=
| death_place=
| alma_mater= Mid American College of Mortuary Science
| occupation=business owner
| spouse=
| residence=[[Indianapolis, Indiana]]
| religion=
|}}

'''Vanessa Joyce Summers''' is a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] member of the [[Indiana House of Representatives]], representing the 99th District in her native [[Indianapolis, Indiana|Indianapolis]] since being appointed to the seat following the death of her father Del. [[Joseph W. Summers]] in 1991. Like her father, Vanessa Summers won re-election multiple times, and in 2012 became the first female as well as the first African-American to lead the Indiana House Democratic Caucus.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://indianahousedemocrats.org/vanessa-summers |title=Rep. Vanessa Summers | Official Legislative Website |access-date=2014-12-04 |archive-date=2014-12-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225081737/http://indianahousedemocrats.org/vanessa-summers |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Background==

Her parents had married in 1948, after both her father Joseph W. Summers (1930–1991) and mother Joyce Benson Summers (d. 2014) had graduated from [[Crispus Attucks High School]], when it was the only secondary school open to African Americans in Indianapolis. Vanessa Summers has a sister (Natalie), and graduated from the former St. Mary's Academy for Girls, then the only private secondary school in the city that would accept African-American pupils (it closed in 1977).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gocathedral.com/alumni/lifelongconnections/academy-all-girls-schools-alumnae/academy-all-girls-schools-history|title=Academy & All-Girls Schools History - Cathedral High School|website=www.gocathedral.com}}</ref> Summers attended [[Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis]], and in 1981 received an associate degree in mortuary science from the Indiana College of Mortuary Science.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianahousedemocrats.org/members/vanessa-summers/full|title=State Rep. Vanessa Summers}}</ref>

==Career==

In 1962, when she was an infant, her father had established the Summers Funeral Chapels, and would also serve many years as Indianapolis' deputy coroner.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://legdb.iga.in.gov/|title=Indiana Legislator Database}}</ref> Meanwhile, her mother operated "Lucille's Flowers" for four decades.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/indystar/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=172894960 |title=Joyce Summers Obituary - Indianapolis, IN | The Indianapolis Star |publisher=Legacy.com |access-date=2019-05-14}}</ref> In 1977, when Vanessa was a teenager, her father won election as a Democrat to the state legislature (a part-time position), and would wim re-election multiple times, representing the 99th district in Indianapolis until his death in 1991.<ref>David J. Bodenhamer and Robert G. Barrows, The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (Indiana University Press 1994) p. 242, available at https://books.google.com/books?id=bg13QcMSsq8C&pg=PA242&lpg</ref><ref>Emma Lou Thornbrough, Indiana Blacks in the Twentieth Century (Indiana University Press, 2000) p. 265n.7, available at https://books.google.com/books?id=q1q23K5hyZUC&pg=PA265&lpg</ref>
Vanessa Summers and her sister worked in the family funeral home chain, which merged with other local mortuaries in 2002 and 2016, although "Lavenia & Summers" still operates funeral homes in Indianapolis.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.laveniasummers.com/our-story/|title=Our Story}}</ref><ref>[https://www.ibj.com%2Farticles%2F58881-flanner-and-buchanan-acquires-local-funeral-home&usg=AOvVaw3_GFDznIZJcZehp6A6Pan2/]{{dead link|date=May 2019}}</ref>

In the Indiana legislature, which was then evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, Summers was appointed to her father's seat for the remaining eight months of the term. Following the advice of [[Julia Carson]], a fellow Indianapolis Democrat (who had served in both houses of the Indiana legislature and would win election to the U.S. Congress), Vanessa Summers ran for election on her own behalf, won and was re-elected multiple times.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.acteonline.org/my-interview-with-vanessa-summers/|title=My Interview with Vanessa Summers|first=Educators in|last=Action|date=19 June 2017|website=acte}}</ref> She faced neither primary nor general election opponents in 2014, 2016 and 2018, and overwhelmingly defeated Republican David T. Blank in 2012, when the Republicans won a legislative majority.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Indiana_House_of_Representatives_District_99|title=Indiana House of Representatives District 99|website=Ballotpedia}}</ref> Summers is a member of the [[Indiana Black Legislative Caucus]], the National Black Caucus and the [[Marion County, Indiana|Marion County]] Democratic party.<ref name="auto">[http://indianahousedemocrats.org/vanessa-summers Indiana State Legislature - Representative Vanessa Summers] Official government website</ref>

In addition to her legislative duties, Summers coordinates the national Diabetes Prevention Program in Indianapolis, and has also worked for the Amazing Grace Healthcare Coalition,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://legdb.iga.in.gov/#!/legislator/6514/Vanessa-Summers |title=Indiana Legislator Database |access-date=2019-04-25 |archive-date=2019-12-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203134733/http://legdb.iga.in.gov/#!/legislator/6514/Vanessa-Summers |url-status=dead }}</ref> The ARC of Indiana (a statewide advocacy group for people with intellectual disabilities and their families),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.arcind.org/ |title=The Arc of Indiana | For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities |publisher=Arcind.org |access-date=2019-05-14}}</ref> and the Julian Center shelter (a domestic violence center).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.juliancenter.org/|title=home|website=JULIAN CENTER}}</ref>

==Personal life==

Vanessa Summers is a member of the [[Alpha Kappa Alpha]] sorority, the [[NAACP]]; and the Light of the World Christian Church. Formerly married, she has a son and granddaughter.<ref name="auto"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=4668 Project Vote Smart - Representative Vanessa J. Summers (IN)] profile
*''Follow the Money'' - Vanessa J Summers [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=81604 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=66053 2004] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=9398 2002] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=31369 2000] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=60766 1998] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=30895 1996] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=30679 1994] campaign contributions

{{Indiana House of Representatives}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Summers, Vanessa}}
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the Indiana House of Representatives]]
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Politicians from Indianapolis]]
[[Category:Women state legislators in Indiana]]
[[Category:African-American state legislators in Indiana]]
[[Category:African-American women in politics]]
[[Category:21st-century American politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century American women politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American women]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American people]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American women]]

Vanessa Summers - Revision history

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