Alexis Herman, the first Black U.S. Secretary of Labor, died Friday at the age of 77.

Herman, a native of Mobile, served as the labor secretary in President Bill Clinton’s administration in 1997 until 2001.

Bill and Hillary Clinton released a statement regarding Herman’s passing saying they were “deeply saddened” while describing her many accomplishments.

In 1977, under former President Jimmy Carter, Herman became the youngest person ever to serve as the director of the Women’s Bureau, a role she accepted at 29 years old.

Current U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer released a statement following Herman’s death saying her career was, “defined by her commitment to public service and her dedication to American workers.“

“After previously working at the department, Herman became the U.S. Secretary of Labor from May 1, 1997, to Jan. 20, 2001 – the first African American to do so,” Chavez-DeRemer said.

“As a leader in business, government, and her community, she was a trailblazer who dedicated her life to strengthening America’s workforce and creating better lives for hardworking families. All of us at the Department of Labor are grateful to Herman for her service and leadership, and we extend our sympathy to her family and many friends.”

The NAACP called Herman a “pioneering leader” who provided “trailblazing leadership.”

As a child, her father sued to integrate the Democratic Party in Alabama and later became the state’s first Black ward leader.

On Christmas Eve when she was five, her father put a pistol in his young daughter’s hands and stepped out of their car to confront the Ku Klux Klan after they were run off the road.

He told her to shoot anyone who came in the car. She his on the floor and listened as he was beaten.

“He taught me that you have to face adversity. He taught me to stand by my principles,” she told a reporter in 1992.

A 1968 graduate of Xavier University in New Orleans, she was a marketing consultant who owned her own business in Washington. Herman considered an expert in the field of multiculturalism and diversity management involving mergers and acquisitions.

In 1992, at age 45, she was appointed one of two deputy directors of President-elect Clinton’s transition team, following her role as chief executive officer of the Democratic National Convention.

U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, also released a statement mourning Herman’s passing saying she was a “true hometown hero, legendary trailblazer, family friend, and mentor,” Figures said.

Figures said he grew up knowing Herman and she served as a mentor to him as he sought advice from her before running for Congress and joining former President Barack Obama’s campaign.

“She was a fighter for civil rights and women’s rights, a giant in DC political circles, especially amongst Black women, and an all-around dynamic woman,” Figures said.

“Born and raised in Mobile, she came of age with a generation of Black people who all went on to break through color barriers and become the “‘firsts’ of many things throughout their careers.“

This fight for civil rights led Herman to return home after college to help desegregate parochial schools in Mobile.

”Along the way, she never forgot where she came from, and always reached back to help,” Figures said.

“Whether it was raising money to save historical Black private schools in Mobile, or supporting local charitable initiatives. But perhaps her greatest contribution was helping advance career opportunities for young people. Countless people from Mobile to DC can attribute their career success in whole or in part to Alexis Herman.

“I am proud to have known her, and blessed to have had her life and career to serve as inspiration for my own. Thank you, Ms. Herman, and job well done.”