14 The Hampton Roads Messenger
Volume 3 Number 10
July 2009
Politicians who Made history
BY dwight Moore, ii and chris Parks
Shirley Franklin (1945-) was the Cora Brown (1914-1972) was the
Arthur W. Mitchell (1883-1968) was
first African-American woman to first African American woman elected
the first African American Democrat
be elected mayor of any major to the U.S. Senate. She won a seat
elected to the U.S. Congress in
Southern city, Atlanta. She was in the state of Michigan in 1952 and
1934. He defeated Oscar Stanton
elected in 2001 and still holds the served two terms.
De priest, who was also African
position today.
American, to represent the state of
Illinois.
Clennon Washington King Jr. (1920-2000) was the first
Robert C. Henry (1921-1981) was the
African American man to run for president of the Untied
Hiram Rhodes Revels (1827-1901)
first African-American mayor of a U.S.
States in 1960. King ran for president as candidate of the
was the first African-American to
city, Springfield, OH. He was appointed
Independent Afro-American party with Reginald Carter
serve in the U.S. Senate and the U.S.
the position by the city commission in
as his running mate. They won 1,485 votes in the state
Congress. He represented the state
1966 and served two years.
of Alabama and finished 11th among 12 candidates.
of Mississippi in 1870 and 1871.
p.B.S. pinchback (1837-1921)
Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005) was the first black
was the first African American US
Alexander Twilight (1795-1875) was the first
woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968.
governor (appointed) in 1873 . In
African-American to earn a bachelor’s degree from
In 1972, she became the first major-party black
1871 he became acting lieutenant
an American college or university, at Middlebury
candidate for president of the United States and the
governor upon the death of Oscar
College in Vermont in 1823. In 1836, he was the
first woman to run for the Democratic presidential
Dunn, the first elected African-
first African American elected to public office as
nomination. She received 152 first-ballot votes at
American lieutenant governor of
a state legislator, serving in the Vermont general
the 1972 Democratic National Convention.
a U.S. state (Louisiana).
Assembly.
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