Celebrating African American Success - The Hiram Rhodes Revels Story
I’ve decided that I will dedicate to posts to little known African American success stories and in honor of President Elect Obama, I want to start with a politician. The Hiram Rhodes Revels Story.
Hiram Rhodes Revels was the 1st Black United States Senator. He was elected during Reconstruction when US Senators where elected by the state Senate. Senator Revels served as the Senator for Mississippi for one year from 1870 to 1871.
Senator Revels was born in Fayetteville, NC, his father was a freeman of white and black heritage, his mother was white of Scottish heritage. He attended numerous church schools after being home schooled.
Senator Revels became an AME minister and worked in many states ending up in Natchez Mississippi. During Reconstruction, Senator Revels was elected alderman in 1868. As far as anyone can tell Senator Nevels had never voted, never attended a political meeting or made a political speech.
In January 1870, Senator Revels gave a remarkable prayer to the Mississippi Senate. John R Lynch reports that Senator Revels prayer made a profound impression upon all who heard him. It impressed those who heard it that Revels was not only a man of great natural ability but that he was also a man of superior attainments.”
In 1870 Senator Revels was selected by the the Mississippi Senate to fill one of the two seats in the US Senate. That seat had been vacant since the Civil War.
Immediately after his election, Senator Revels was challeged by the Senate Democrats (most blacks where Republicians) about whether it is legal for an African American to be a US Senator. The southern Democrats argued that black men born before the passage of the 14th Amendment where not citizens so they weren’t able to be US Senators.
Revels supporters argued that the Dred Scott decision (this was the basis of the argument that Senator Revels wasn’t a citizen) only applied to full blooded Africans and since Revels was both black and white the Dred Scott Decision didn’t apply.
Senator Revels eventually resigned the Senate and was appointed President of Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Alcorn State University).
Senator Revels was an African American success story, the first black US Senator and the 1st Black person in the US Congress.
There are many ironies in this story, Revels was mixed like President Elect Obama and he faced similar challenges. Hope you enjoyed the story.
