NAME |
YEARS OF SERVICE |
STATE & PARTY |
Senators |
Revels, Hiram Rhodes*
(*First black elected to Senate) |
1870–71 |
MS-R |
Bruce, Blanche Kelso |
1875–81 |
MS-R |
Brooke, Edward William, III |
1967–79 |
MA-R |
Moseley Braun, Carol*
(*First black woman elected to Senate) |
1993–99 |
IL-D |
Obama, Barack
(*Democratic Party’s first African-American nominee for U.S. presidency) |
2005– |
IL-D |
|
Representatives |
Rainey, Joseph Hayne* |
1870–79 |
SC-R |
(*First black member of House; elected in special election after House declared Benjamin Franklin Whittemore’s seat vacant) |
Long, Jefferson Franklin* |
1870–71 |
GA-R |
(*In 1871 delivered the first speech on floor of Congress by a black member) |
Elliott, Robert Brown |
1871–74 |
SC-R |
DeLarge, Robert Carlos |
1871–73 |
SC-R |
Turner, Benjamin S. |
1871–73 |
AL-R |
Walls, Josiah Thomas |
1871–73, 1873–75, 1875–76 |
FL-R |
Cain, Richard Harvey |
1873–75, 1877–79 |
SC-R |
Lynch, John Roy |
1873–77, 1882–83 |
MS-R |
Ransier, Alonzo Jacob |
1873–75 |
SC-R |
Rapier, James Thomas |
1873–75 |
AL-R |
Haralson, Jeremiah |
1875–77 |
AL-R |
Hyman, John Adams |
1875–77 |
NC-R |
Nash, Charles Edmund |
1875–77 |
LA-R |
Smalls, Robert |
1875–79, 1882–83, 1884–87 |
SC-R |
O’Hara, James Edward |
1883–87 |
NC-R |
Cheatham, Henry Plummer |
1889–93 |
NC-R |
Langston, John Mercer |
1890–91 |
VA-R |
Miller, Thomas Ezekiel |
1890–91 |
SC-R |
Murray, George Washington |
1893–95, 1896–97 |
SC-R |
White, George Henry* |
1897–1901 |
NC-R |
(*Only black member of Congress during his tenure; 28 years passed before another black member was seated) |
DePriest, Oscar Stanton |
1929–35 |
IL-R |
Mitchell, Arthur Wergs* |
1935–43 |
IL-D |
(*First black Democrat elected to Congress) |
Dawson, William Levi |
1943–70 |
IL-D |
Powell, Adam Clayton, Jr. |
1945–67, 1969–71 |
NY-D |
Diggs, Charles Coles, Jr. |
1955–80 |
MI-D |
Nix, Robert Nelson Cornelius, Sr. |
1958–79 |
PA-D |
Hawkins, Augustus Freeman |
1963–91 |
CA-D |
Conyers, John, Jr.
(*Principal sponsor of the bill leading to the Martin Luther King Jr.Holiday Act of 1983) |
1965– |
MI-D |
Chisholm, Shirley Anita**
(**First black woman elected to Congress; first black woman to run for president [1972]) |
1969–83 |
NY-D |
Clay, William Lacy, Sr. |
1969–2001 |
MO-D |
Stokes, Louis |
1969–99 |
OH-D |
Collins, George Washington |
1970–72 |
IL-D |
Dellums, Ronald Vernie*
(*Primary sponsor of legislation that ended US support of apartheid in South Africa) |
1971–98 |
CA-D |
Fauntroy, Walter Edward |
1971–91 |
DC-D |
Metcalfe, Ralph Harold |
1971–78 |
IL-D |
Mitchell, Parren James |
1971–87 |
MD-D |
Rangel, Charles Bernard |
1971– |
NY-D |
Burke, Yvonne Brathwaite*
(*First woman to give birth while serving in Congress, in 1973) |
1973–79 |
CA-D |
Collins, Cardiss |
1973–79 |
IL-D |
Jordan, Barbara Charline |
1973–79 |
TX-D |
Young, Andrew Jackson, Jr.*
(*Resigned January 29, 1977, to become US Ambassador to United Nations) |
1973–77 |
GA-D |
Ford, Harold Eugene, Sr. |
1975–97 |
TN-D |
Dixon, Julian Carey |
1979–2000 |
CA-D |
Evans, Melvin Herbert |
1979–81 |
VI-R |
Gray, William Herbert, III |
1979–91 |
PA-D |
Leland, George Thomas “Mickey” |
1979–89 |
TX-D |
Stewart, Bennett McVey |
1979–81 |
IL-D |
Crockett, George William, Jr. |
1980–91 |
MI-D |
Dymally, Mervyn Malcolm |
1981–93 |
CA-D |
Savage, Gus |
1981–93 |
IL-D |
Washington, Harold D. |
1981–83 |
IL-D |
Hall, Katie Beatrice |
1982–85 |
IN-D |
Hayes, Charles Arthur |
1983–93 |
IL-D |
Owens, Major Robert Odell |
1983–2007 |
NY-D |
Towns, Edolphus |
1983– |
NY-D |
Wheat, Alan Dupree |
1983–95 |
MO-D |
Waldon, Alton R., Jr. |
1986–87 |
NY-D |
Espy, Alphonso Michael “Mike”*
(*Resigned January 25, 1993, to become Secretary of Agriculture) |
1987–93 |
MS-D |
Flake, Floyd Harold |
1987–97 |
NY-D |
Lewis, John R. |
1987– |
GA-D |
Mfume, Kweisi |
1987–96 |
MD-D |
Payne, Donald Milford |
1989– |
NJ-D |
Washington, Craig Anthony |
1989–95 |
TX-D |
Blackwell, Lucien Edward |
1991–95 |
PA-D |
Collins, Barbara-Rose |
1991–97 |
MI-D |
Franks, Gary A. |
1991–97 |
CT-R |
Jefferson, William Jennings |
1991– |
LA-D |
Norton, Eleanor Holmes |
1991– |
DC-D |
Waters, Maxine |
1991– |
CA-D |
Clayton, Eva M. |
1992–2003 |
NC-D |
Bishop, Sanford Dixon, Jr. |
1993– |
GA-D |
Brown, Corrine |
1993– |
FL-D |
Clyburn, James Enos |
1993– |
SC-D |
Fields, Cleo |
1993–97 |
LA-D |
Hastings, Alcee Lamar |
1993– |
FL-D |
Hilliard, Earl Frederick |
1993–2003 |
AL-D |
Johnson, Eddie Bernice |
1993– |
TX-D |
McKinney, Cynthia Ann |
1993–2003, 2005–7 |
GA-D |
Meek, Carrie P. |
1993–2003 |
FL-D |
Reynolds, Mel J. |
1993–95 |
IL-D |
Rush, Bobby L. |
1993– |
IL-D |
Scott, Robert Cortez |
1993– |
VA-D |
Thompson, Bennie G. |
1993– |
MS-D |
Tucker, Walter R., III |
1993–95 |
CA-D |
Watt, Melvin L. |
1993– |
NC-D |
Wynn, Albert Russell |
1993–2008 |
MD-D |
Fattah, Chaka |
1995– |
PA-D |
Frazer, Victor O. |
1995–97 |
VI-I |
Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. |
1995– |
IL-D |
Jackson-Lee, Sheila |
1995– |
TX-D |
Watts, Julius Caesar “J. C.,” Jr. |
1995–2003 |
OK-R |
Cummings, Elijah E. |
1996– |
MD-D |
Millender-McDonald, Juanita |
1996–2007 |
CA-D |
Ford, Harold Eugene, Jr. |
1997–2007 |
TN-D |
Kilpatrick, Carolyn Cheeks |
1997– |
MI-D |
Carson, Julia |
1997–2007 |
IN-D |
Christensen, Donna Marie Christian |
1997– |
VI-D |
Davis, Danny K. |
1997– |
IL-D |
Lee, Barbara |
1998– |
CA-D |
Meeks, Gregory W. |
1998– |
NY-D |
Jones, Stephanie Tubbs |
1999– |
OH-D |
Clay, William Lacy, Jr. |
2001– |
MO-D |
Watson, Diane Edith |
2001– |
CA-D |
Ballance, Frank W., Jr. |
2003–4 |
NC-D |
Davis, Artur |
2003– |
AL-D |
Majette, Denise L. |
2003–5 |
GA-D |
Meek, Kendrick B. |
2003– |
FL-D |
Scott, David |
2003– |
GA-D |
Butterfield, George Kenneth “G. K.,” Jr. |
2003– |
NC-D |
Cleaver, Emanuel, II |
2005– |
MO-D |
Green, Al |
2005– |
TX-D |
Moore, Gwendolynne “Gwen” S. |
2005– |
WI-D |
Ellison, Keith |
2007– |
MN-D |
Clarke, Yvette Diane |
2007– |
NY-D |
Johnson, Hank |
2007– |
GA-D |
Richardson, Laura |
2007– |
CA-D |
