"Milestones in U.S. African American Political History
1836— Alexander Twilight becomes the first African American elected to public office when he wins a seat on the Vermont legislature.
1866— Edward G. Walker and Charles L. Mitchell become the first blacks elected to a U.S. state legislature.
1868—John Willis Menard of Louisiana is the first African American to be elected to Congress, but Congressman James A. Garfield contests the election.
1870—The 15th Amendment is ratified, prohibiting the denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous status as a slave.
1870—Hiram Revels, a Republican from Mississippi, becomes the first African-American to be seated in the United States Senate.
1870—Joseph Hayne Rainey, a Republican from South Carolina, becomes the first African-American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
1872—Frederick Douglass is the first African-American vice presidential candidate. Frederick Douglas became the first US Marshall in 1877 and later he was the first African American to receive a vote in 1888 for President from a major party roll call vote.
1874—Blanche Kelso Bruce, a Republican from Mississippi, is the first African-American to serve a full six-year term in the Senate. A former slave, Bruce also served in several federal positions until his death in 1898.
1890—The Mississippi Legislature approves a new state Constitution that effectively disenfranchises nearly all of the state's African-American voters. In subsequent years, several other states, including South Carolina, Louisiana, North Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Georgia, and Oklahoma, adopt similar measures.
1955—E. Frederic Morrow becomes the first African American to hold an executive position in the White House.
1965—The Voting Rights Act is passed, overturning efforts by state legislatures to disenfranchise African-American voters. The act suspends literacy tests, provides for federal oversight of voter registration in some areas, and directs the attorney general of the United States to challenge the use of poll taxes for state and local elections.
1967—Thurgood Marshall was sworn into office as the first black Supreme Court Justice.
1967—Edward Brooke was the first African-American to be elected to the U.S. Senate in 1967.
1967—Carl Stokes becomes the first African American elected mayor of a large U.S. city.
1968—Shirley Chisholm, a Democrat from New York, is the first African-American woman elected to the House of Representatives. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm became the first African-American from a major political party to run for president in 1972.
1977—Patricia Harris becomes the first African American woman to hold a position on the U.S. cabinet
1989—L. Douglas Wilder, a Democrat from Virginia, is the first African-American to be elected governor in the United States.
1992—Carol Moseley Braun, a Democrat from Illinois, is the first African-American woman elected to the Senate.
2001—Gen. Colin Powell is appointed as secretary of state and Dr. Condoleezza Rice as national security advisor
2008—Barack Obama is the first African-American to win the presidency."
Source: USA Today
1836— Alexander Twilight becomes the first African American elected to public office when he wins a seat on the Vermont legislature.
1866— Edward G. Walker and Charles L. Mitchell become the first blacks elected to a U.S. state legislature.
1868—John Willis Menard of Louisiana is the first African American to be elected to Congress, but Congressman James A. Garfield contests the election.
1870—The 15th Amendment is ratified, prohibiting the denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous status as a slave.
1870—Hiram Revels, a Republican from Mississippi, becomes the first African-American to be seated in the United States Senate.
1870—Joseph Hayne Rainey, a Republican from South Carolina, becomes the first African-American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
1872—Frederick Douglass is the first African-American vice presidential candidate. Frederick Douglas became the first US Marshall in 1877 and later he was the first African American to receive a vote in 1888 for President from a major party roll call vote.
1874—Blanche Kelso Bruce, a Republican from Mississippi, is the first African-American to serve a full six-year term in the Senate. A former slave, Bruce also served in several federal positions until his death in 1898.
1890—The Mississippi Legislature approves a new state Constitution that effectively disenfranchises nearly all of the state's African-American voters. In subsequent years, several other states, including South Carolina, Louisiana, North Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Georgia, and Oklahoma, adopt similar measures.
1955—E. Frederic Morrow becomes the first African American to hold an executive position in the White House.
1965—The Voting Rights Act is passed, overturning efforts by state legislatures to disenfranchise African-American voters. The act suspends literacy tests, provides for federal oversight of voter registration in some areas, and directs the attorney general of the United States to challenge the use of poll taxes for state and local elections.
1967—Thurgood Marshall was sworn into office as the first black Supreme Court Justice.
1967—Edward Brooke was the first African-American to be elected to the U.S. Senate in 1967.
1967—Carl Stokes becomes the first African American elected mayor of a large U.S. city.
1968—Shirley Chisholm, a Democrat from New York, is the first African-American woman elected to the House of Representatives. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm became the first African-American from a major political party to run for president in 1972.
1977—Patricia Harris becomes the first African American woman to hold a position on the U.S. cabinet
1989—L. Douglas Wilder, a Democrat from Virginia, is the first African-American to be elected governor in the United States.
1992—Carol Moseley Braun, a Democrat from Illinois, is the first African-American woman elected to the Senate.
2001—Gen. Colin Powell is appointed as secretary of state and Dr. Condoleezza Rice as national security advisor
2008—Barack Obama is the first African-American to win the presidency."
Source: USA Today
"I wish I could say that racism and prejudice were only distant memories. We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust…We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better.” ~Thurgood Marshall