Mississippian Was the First African American Senator
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today introduced a resolution honoring former U.S. Senator Hiram Rhodes Revels. This month marks 150 years since Revels was sworn-in as a U.S. Senator from Mississippi. He was the first African American to serve in Congress.
“Hiram Revels was an extraordinary Mississippian and American whose legacy extends far beyond breaking the color barrier in Congress,” Wicker said. “He used his platform to fight for equality and reconciliation in a nation divided by race and the Civil War. The broad bipartisan support for this resolution demonstrates the deep respect and appreciation Americans still have for Hiram Revels’s service.”
Revels represented Mississippi in the U.S. Senate from February 25, 1870, until March 3, 1871. He served as the first president of Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College in Claiborne County, today’s Alcorn State University. He later taught theology at Shaw University, now known as Rust College. Revels died in 1901 and is buried in Holly Springs, Mississippi.
Wicker’s resolution honoring Revels has been cosponsored by U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Roy Blunt, R-Mo., John Boozman, R-Ark., Mike Braun, R-Ind., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Richard Burr, R-N.C., Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Ben Cardin, D-Md., Bob Casey, D-Pa., Bill Cassidy, R-La., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Chris Coons, D-Del., John Cornyn, R-Texas, Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Steve Daines, R-Mont., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Cory Gardner, R-Colo., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., James Inhofe, R-Okla., Doug Jones, D-Ala., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Angus King, I-Maine, Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., James Lankford, R-Okla., Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Bob Menendez, D-N.J., Jerry Moran, R- Kan., Rand Paul, R-Ky., David Perdue, R-Ga., Gary Peters, D-Mich., James Risch, R-Idaho, Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Mitt Romney, R-Utah, Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Ben Sasse, R-Neb., Rick Scott, R-Fla., Tim Scott, R-S.C., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Jon Tester, D-Mont., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Tom Udall, D-N.M., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Mark Warner, D-Va., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Todd Young, R-Ind.
Click here to view a PDF copy of the resolution.
Senator Roger Wicker Press Release
2/25/2020
Sarah Ulmer
