Jennifer E Manning

African American Members of the U.S. Congress Jennifer E Manning

The first African American Members, Senator Hiram Revels of Mississippi and Representative Joseph Rainey of South Carolina, both took the oath of office in 1870. These first two Members were among the 22 African American Members (2 in the Senate, 20 in the House) who began their service in the period of time after the Civil War but prior to the start of the 20th century. After these first 22, the presence of African Americans in the membership of Congress was not continuous, and there were subsequent periods in both chambers with no African American Members. Most recently, the 116th Congress began with the highest number of African American Members ever at the start of a Congress: 57 (52 Representatives, 2 Delegates, and 3 Senators). Other information in this report includes the following: Numbers of African Americans who have served in Congress by party and type of service; Numbers of African Americans who have served in each Congress since 1870; Numbers of African Americans who have served in the House and Senate by state, district, or territory; Means of entry to Congress, including regular elections, special elections, and appointments; Brief background and selected data on the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC); Lists of selected "firsts" for African Americans in Congress; Lists of the African Americans who have served in leadership; Records for length of service in the House and Senate; and Lists of the African American women in the 116th Congress.