World Library  
My Account |  Register |  Help  
  
Flag as Inappropriate
Email this Article

List of African-American United States Senators

Article Id: WHEBN0021254073
Reproduction Date:

Title: List of African-American United States Senators  
Author: World Heritage Encyclopedia
Language: English
Subject: Lists of African Americans, Negro Republican Party, Cory Booker, Second Great Migration (African American), New Great Migration
Collection:
Publisher: World Heritage Encyclopedia
Publication
Date:
 

List of African-American United States Senators

An African-American man in a black suit, a grey tie, and the U.S. Capitol dome behind the subject in the distance.
The official senate portrait of Barack Obama, the fifth African-American United States Senator who would later become the first African-American President

The United States Senate has had nine African-American elected or appointed officers.[1] The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, which is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. No African American served in the elective office before the ratification in 1870 of the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Fifteenth Amendment prohibits the federal government and state governments from denying any citizen the right to vote because of that citizen's race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Of the nine senators, four were popularly elected, two were elected by the Mississippi State Senate, and three were appointed by a state Governor. The 113th United States Congress (2013–15) marked the first time that two African Americans have served concurrently in the Senate.[2]

The first two African-American senators represented the state of Mississippi during the Reconstruction Era, following the American Civil War. Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first African American to serve, was elected by the Mississippi State Senate to succeed Albert G. Brown, who resigned during the Civil War. Some members of the United States Senate opposed his being seated based on the Dred Scott Decision by the Supreme Court of the United States, claiming that Revels did not meet the citizenship requirement.[1] The Mississippi State Senate elected Blanche Bruce in 1875, but Republicans lost power of the Mississippi State Senate in 1876. Bruce was not elected to a second term in 1881.[1] In 1890 the Democratic-dominated state legislature passed a new constitution disfranchising most black voters. Every other southern state also passed disfranchising constitutions by 1908, excluding African Americans from the political system in the entire former Confederacy. This situation persisted into the 1960s until after federal enforcement of constitutional rights under the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The next African-American United States Senator, Edward Brooke of Massachusetts, took office in 1967. He was the first African American to be elected by popular vote after the ratification in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, rather than to be elected by a state legislature.[1] The Seventeenth Amendment established direct election of United States Senators by popular vote.

Carol Moseley Braun and Barack Obama were both elected by the voters of Illinois, entering the Senate in 1993 and 2004, respectively.[1] Carol Moseley Braun is the first and last African-American woman to be elected - or appointed - to the Senate after the ratification in 1920 of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Nineteenth Amendment prohibits any United States citizen from being denied the right to vote on the basis of sex. While serving in the Senate, Obama became the first African American to be elected President of the United States.[3] Roland Burris, also an African American, was appointed to fill the remainder of Obama's term.[4]

The next two African-American Senators, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Mo Cowan of Massachusetts, were both appointed by their state's governors to fill the terms of Jim DeMint and John Kerry, respectively, who had resigned their positions.[1] On October 16, 2013, citizens of New Jersey elected Cory Booker in a special election to fill the seat of the late Senator Frank R. Lautenberg.[5] Sworn into office on October 31, 2013, he is the first African-American Senator to be elected since Barack Obama in 2004 and the first to represent the state of New Jersey. Tim Scott was elected as senator of South Carolina in the 2014 elections.

As of 2014, there have been 1,950 members of the United States Senate,[6] but only nine have been African American.[7][8] [9]

List of African-American Senators of the United States

Parties

      Democratic       Republican

Senator State Took office Left office Party Congress Ref(s) Note(s)
Hiram Rhodes Revels - Brady-Handy-(restored).png
Hiram Rhodes Revels
(1827–1901)
 Mississippi February 23, 1870 March 3, 1871 Republican 41st
(1869–1871) 		[10][11] [note 1]
Blanche Bruce - Brady-Handy.jpg
Blanche Kelso Bruce
(1841–1898)
 Mississippi March 4, 1875 March 3, 1881 Republican 44th
(1875–1877) 		[12][13] [note 2]
45th
(1877–1879)
46th
(1879–1881)
Edward brooke senator.jpg
Edward William Brooke, III
(born 1919)
 Massachusetts January 3, 1967 January 3, 1979 Republican 90th
(1967–1969) 		[14] [note 3]
91st
(1969–1971)
92nd
(1971–1973)
93rd
(1973–1975)
94th
(1975–1977)
95th
(1977–1979)
Carol Moseley Braun NZ.jpg
Carol Moseley Braun
(born 1947)
 Illinois January 3, 1993 January 3, 1999 Democratic 103rd
(1993–1995) 		[15][16] [note 4]
104th
(1995–1997)
105th
(1997–1999)
BarackObamaportrait.jpg
Barack Obama
(born 1961)
 Illinois January 3, 2005 November 16, 2008 Democratic 109th
(2005–2007) 		[3][17] [note 5]
110th
(2007–2009)
Sen Roland Burris.jpg
Roland W. Burris
(born 1937)
 Illinois January 15, 2009 November 29, 2010 Democratic 111th
(2009–2011) 		[4] [note 6]
Tim Scott, official portrait, 113th Congress.jpg
Tim Scott
(born 1965)
 South Carolina January 2, 2013 Incumbent Republican 112th
(2011–2013) 		[18][19] [note 7]
113th
(2013–2015)
Mo Cowan, official portrait, 113th Congress.jpg
Mo Cowan
(born 1969)
 Massachusetts February 1, 2013 July 16, 2013 Democratic 113th
(2013–2015) 		[20][21] [note 8]
Cory_Booker_Senate.jpg
Cory Booker
(born 1969)
 New Jersey October 31, 2013 Incumbent Democratic 113th
(2013–2015) 		[22][5][23] [note 9]

African Americans elected to the U.S. Senate, but not seated

Political Party

      Republican

Senator State Took office Left office Party Congress Ref(s) Note(s)
P. B. S. Pinchback - Brady-Handy.jpg
P. B. S. Pinchback
(1837–1921)
 Louisiana Vacant Vacant Republican 44th
(1875–1877) 		[24] [note 10]

Notes

  1. ^ Retired from office. First African American to serve in the United States Senate and Congress. First African-American Republican elected to Congress. First African American to serve in Congress from Mississippi.[10]
  2. ^ Retired from office. First African American to serve a full six-year term as a United States Senator. The only Senator to be a former slave.[13]
  3. ^ Lost office during reelection. First African American elected to the Senate by direct election. First African American to serve in Congress from Massachusetts.[14]
  4. ^ Lost office during reelection. First African-American female and African-American Democrat to serve in the United States Senate.[15]
  5. ^ Resigned from office. First African-American President of the United States.[3]
  6. ^ Appointed by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to fill vacancy caused by the resignation of President-elect Barack Obama. Not a candidate during special election following his appointment. First African American to succeed another African American in the Senate.[4]
  7. ^ Appointed by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to fill vacancy caused by the resignation of Jim DeMint. First African American to serve in both chambers of the United States Congress.
  8. ^ Appointed by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to fill vacancy caused by the resignation of John Kerry. Not a candidate during special election following his appointment. First African-American Senator appointed by an African-American Governor. The first African American to serve alongside another African-American Senator - Tim Scott.
  9. ^ Elected to fill vacancy caused by the death of Frank R. Lautenberg. First African American to be elected to the Senate by special election.
  10. ^ Denied seat due to a contested election that involved William L. McMillen.

See also

Federal government

State and local government

References

  1. ^ Weigel, David (January 30, 2013). "For the First Time Ever, We'll Have Two Black Senators Serving at the Same Time". Slate Magazine. Retrieved January 30, 2013. 
  2. ^ a b c "Obama, Barack, (1961 - )". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.  
  3. ^ a b c "Burris, Roland, (1937 - )". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.  
  4. ^ a b Walshe, Shushannah (January 30, 2013). "Cory Booker Wins Race for US Senate Seat in New Jersey".  
  5. ^ "Senators of the United States: 1789-present". Senate Historical Office. February 11, 2014. p. 90. Retrieved 12 May 2014. 
  6. ^ "Ethnic Diversity in the Senate". Senate Historical Office. Retrieved 19 October 2013. 
  7. ^ Desjardins, Lisa (April 4, 2012). "No African-American senators likely in near future". CNN.com. Retrieved February 9, 2013. 
  8. ^ a b Terkel, Amanda (27 September 2012). "Senate Likely To Remain Without Black Members For Years". Huffington Post. Retrieved February 9, 2013. 
  9. ^ a b "Revels, Hiram Rhodes, (1827 - 1901)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.  
  10. ^ "First African American Senator". Historical Minutes Essays, 1878-1920. The Senate Historical Office, The United States Senate. Retrieved January 4, 2013. 
  11. ^ "Bruce, Blanche Kelso, (1841 - 1898)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.  
  12. ^ a b "Former Slave Presides over Senate". Historical Minutes Essays, 1878-1920. Senate Historical Office, The United States Senate. Retrieved January 4, 2013. 
  13. ^ a b "Brooke, Edward William, III, (1919 - )". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.  
  14. ^ a b "Mosley Braun, Carol, (1947 - )". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.  
  15. ^ "Carol Moseley Braun". Art & History Home. Senate Historical Office, The United States Senate. Retrieved January 4, 2013. 
  16. ^ "Barack Obama". Art & History Home. Senate Historical Office, The United States Senate. Retrieved January 4, 2013. 
  17. ^ "Scott, Tim, (1965 - )". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.  
  18. ^ Blake, Aaron; Cillizza, Chris (December 17, 2012). "Nikki Haley appoints Rep. Tim Scott to Senate". Washington Post. Retrieved January 5, 2013. 
  19. ^ "Cowan, William (Mo), (1969 - )". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.  
  20. ^ Phillips, Frank (January 30, 2013). "William ‘Mo’ Cowan is Governor Deval Patrick’s pick to serve as interim US senator".  
  21. ^ "Booker, Cory Anthony, (1969 - )". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.  
  22. ^ Giambusso, David (October 23, 2013). "Cory Booker planning to be sworn in to Senate on Halloween".  
  23. ^ Office of the Historian. Crafting an Identity,' Fifteenth Amendment in Flesh and Blood"'". Black Americans in Congress. Office of the Clerk, House of Representatives of the United States. Retrieved August 7, 2013. 

Further reading

  • Clay, William L. Just Permanent Interests: Black Americans in Congress, 1870–1991. Amistad Press, 1992. ISBN 1-56743-000-7
  • Dray, Philip. Capitol Men: The Epic Story of Reconstruction Through the Lives of the First Black Congressmen. Houghton Mifflin Co, 2008. ISBN 978-0-618-56370-8
  • Foner, Eric. Freedom's Lawmakers: A Directory of Black Officeholders during Reconstruction. 1996. Revised. ISBN 0-8071-2082-0
  • Freedman, Eric. African Americans in Congress: A Documentary History. CQ Press, 2007. ISBN 0-87289-385-5
  • Gill, LaVerne McCain. African American Women in Congress: Forming and Transforming History. Rutgers University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-8135-2353-2
  • Hahn, Steven. A Nation Under Our Feet: Black Political Struggles in the Rural South From Slavery to the Great Migration. 2003. ISBN 0-674-01169-4
  • Haskins, James. Distinguished African American Political and Governmental Leaders. Phoenix, Arizona: Oryx Press, 1999. ISBN 1-57356-126-6
  • Middleton, Stephen. Black Congressmen During Reconstruction : A Documentary Sourcebook. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2002. ISBN 0-313-06512-8
  • Rabinowitz, Howard N. Southern Black Leaders of the Reconstruction Era. University of Illinois Press, 1982. ISBN 0-252-00929-0
  • Walton, Jr., Hanes; Puckett, Sherman C.;  
  • Wasniewski, Matthew as editor. Black Americans in Congress, 1870-2007. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 2008. ISBN 0-16080-194-5. The website, Black Americans in Congress maintained by the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives, serves as an ongoing supplement to the book. To download a free copy of the entire publication or a specific portion of the publication, see H. Doc. 108-224 - Black Americans in Congress 1870 - 2007. Made available by the United States Government Printing Office (GPO).

External links

  • African American Members of the United States Congress: 1870–2012 A 66 page history produced by the Congressional Research Service, a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress.
  • Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774 - Present Perform search of desired Representative or Delegate by last name, first name, position, state, party, by year or congress.
  • Black Americans in Congress, 1870–2007 A C-SPAN video with Matt Wasniewski, historian of the United States House of Representatives, as the presenter. He discusses the history of African Americans in Congress from 1870 to 2007. The video is 164 minutes in length.
  • Black Americans in Congress Maintained by the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. The website serves as an ongoing supplement to the book, Black Americans in Congress, 1870-2007.
  • Major African American Office Holders Since 1641 Includes a listing for the United States Senate. Maintained by Blackpast.org.
Websites
House of Representatives
Senate
This article was sourced from Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. World Heritage Encyclopedia content is assembled from numerous content providers, Open Access Publishing, and in compliance with The Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act (FASTR), Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Public Library of Science, The Encyclopedia of Life, Open Book Publishers (OBP), PubMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and USA.gov, which sources content from all federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government publication portals (.gov, .mil, .edu). Funding for USA.gov and content contributors is made possible from the U.S. Congress, E-Government Act of 2002.
 
Crowd sourced content that is contributed to World Heritage Encyclopedia is peer reviewed and edited by our editorial staff to ensure quality scholarly research articles.
 
By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. World Heritage Encyclopedia™ is a registered trademark of the World Public Library Association, a non-profit organization.
 



Copyright © World Library Foundation. All rights reserved. eBooks from World eBook Library are sponsored by the World Library Foundation,
a 501c(4) Member's Support Non-Profit Organization, and is NOT affiliated with any governmental agency or department.