Willie J. Hardy (July 18, 1922 – August 18, 2007)[1][2] was a Democratic politician and activist in Washington, D.C. She was elected as one of the original members of the Council of the District of Columbia in 1974 when D.C. gained home rule.
[1] Growing up, her mother would collect used clothing in order to give it to the less fortunate, something that Hardy said inspired her to help people in need as an adult.
[8] Hardy resigned her position at the Department of the Treasury in order to devote all of her time to politics without running afoul of the Hatch Act.
[8] In the early 1960s, Hardy served as the secretary of the Far East Democratic Organization,[9] which was known for helping families whose applications for welfare had been declined or who had lost eligibility due to changes initiated by Senator Robert Byrd.
[11] By 1965, Hardy was volunteering for the Metropolitan Community Aid Council, Inc., helping homeless people find affordable homes.
[7] She organized Operation Checkmate,[16] a group of older teenagers who would report violations committed by police officers and sanitation workers.
[7] Hardy organized college students to teach adults how to read, and she helped children with their homework.
[7] By 1968, Hardy was leading the Black United Front, a group that demanded "equality, the kind that goes deeper than laws and legislation.
[20] Hardy and the Metropolitan Community Aid Council applied for, and were awarded, a federal grant to connect young adults with skilled tradesman who renovate dilapidated houses together.
[26] On the Council, Hardy chaired the committees on Public Safety, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, Housing and Economic Development, Finance and Revenue, and the Judiciary.
[27] In the Democratic Party primary election, she was challenged by Walter E. Bayard, a financial advisor living in Deanwood; and Barbara A. Morgan, a public school teacher.
[31][32] In the general election, she was challenged by Republican Virginia Morris, a former member of the District of Columbia Board of Education living in Good Hope; and Independent Wilmur A. Davis, a civil engineer and Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner living in Fort Davis.
[38] Workers compensation insurance costs had indeed increased for businesses in the District due to new legislation passed by United States Congress.