From Black America Web:
…what many people don’t know is that Kennedy helped a number of African-Americans professionally and politically.
“Ron Brown never would have been commerce secretary if it had not been for Ted Kennedy,” said Michael K. Frisby, a former national politics reporter for The Wall Street Journal and The Boston Globe.
“He built labor support in other communities, especially among his colleagues in the Senate and — I heard this directly from Ron Brown himself — (Kennedy) worked behind the scenes to make people comfortable,” Frisby told BlackAmericaWeb.com.
“I just remember the tremendous respect Ron Brown had for Sen. Kennedy, not only helping Brown, but just the type of friendship that they had,” Frisby said. “He was always available to be a sounding board for Brown when he was a staffer for Kennedy, chairman of the DNC and commerce secretary.”