Ex-councilman expands his fight against poverty

from the Fort Worth Star Telegram

By JOHN KIRSCH
Star-Telegram staff writer
Ralph McCloud traces his social awareness to his childhood in southeast Fort Worth.

He saw people struggle for the basics of life, and the experience gave him a lifelong desire to relieve poverty.

"I'm struck by the very, very serious abject poverty that exists in our nation, and I'm often driven to see both what I can do personally and what I can do to encourage others to be aware of it, and secondly look at ways of trying to relieve it," said McCloud, a former Fort Worth city councilman and mayor pro tem.

Since 1995, McCloud has served as head of community and pastoral services for the Fort Worth Catholic Diocese. In that job, he has been involved in a wide range of community and anti-poverty efforts, such as leading a task force on homelessness appointed by Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief.

Politics and advocacy

Now McCloud is embarking on his biggest opportunity to fight poverty.

In January, he will become director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Catholic Campaign for Human Development in Washington, D.C. The program funds community organizations and economic development projects designed to root out poverty around the country.

John Carr, the interim director of the campaign, said McCloud's commitment to carrying out the church's teachings on social responsibility made him the best person for the job.

"You hear Ralph talk about justice, and you don't think about politics. You think about morality. He practices what he preaches," Carr said.

McCloud is the first African-American layperson to serve as director of the campaign, Carr said.

McCloud sees the job as an opportunity to combine the political and advocacy skills he developed at the diocese and on the City Council. He said he wants to use the job to increase awareness of poverty and the need to reduce it.

An estimated 37 million Americans live in poverty, according to the campaign for human development.

"I see it as being an opportunity to kind of both broaden my horizons as well as work with organizations and people who are dealing with poverty on a very, very, very up-close and personal way, trying to assist the alleviation," he said.

Early involvement

McCloud's awareness of community emerged early in his life.

His parents -- Ralph Sr., a career Army sergeant, and Bessie, a teacher's aide -- sent him and his six siblings to Catholic school.

The younger McCloud was so impressed by the commitment that priests and nuns showed to the poor that he converted to Catholicism at 13. He had been raised Methodist, but McCloud said his parents supported the move.

McCloud was student body president at Nolan Catholic High School in 1973, the year he graduated. After high school, McCloud worked in a carpet-cushion factory and for the YMCA as an outreach coordinator for programs in low-income areas.

In 1995, McCloud retired from a 17-year career as a property manager for Southwestern Bell to become director of pastoral and community services for the diocese. McCloud says he felt a call to serve the community, especially poor people.

As a councilman from 1997 to 2005, McCloud worked to revitalize inner-city areas and helped set up the Hazel Harvey Peace professorship, named for a prominent Fort Worth educator, at the University of North Texas.

"It's been one change after the other from the phone company to the diocese to the Conference of Catholic Bishops," he said. "It's something I'm ready for."

This report includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.

Ralph McCloud

Age: 53

Hometown: Fort Worth

Career: Head of community and pastoral services, Fort Worth Catholic Diocese; property and real estate manager for Southwestern Bell, 1978-95; Fort Worth City Council, 1997-2005 (mayor pro tem, 1999-2005)

Education: Nolan Catholic High School, 1973; attended Paul Quinn College, Dallas.

Family: Single

Ralph McCloud

Age: 53

Hometown: Fort Worth

Career: Head of community and pastoral services, Fort Worth Catholic Diocese; property and real estate manager for Southwestern Bell, 1978-95; Fort Worth City Council, 1997-2005 (mayor pro tem, 1999-2005)

Education: Nolan Catholic High School, 1973; attended Paul Quinn College, Dallas.

Family: Single