The First African-American Senator Was Born
The first African-American to serve in the United States Senate, Hiram R. Revels, was born on September 27, 1827, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Revels represented the state of Mississippi for a year before moving on to serve as President of Alcorn State University.
Despite being born in the South, where slavery was widespread, Revels came from a free family. His father worked as a Baptist preacher, and his mother was of Scottish descent. As a child, Revels attended a school taught by a free Black woman regardless of it being illegal for African Americans to get an education during the time.
He and his brother both apprenticed as barbers and his brother went on to open his own barbershop. After the death of his brother, Revels inherited and ran the shop before leaving North Carolina to study at seminaries in Indiana and Ohio. In 1845, Revels was ordained in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church and he began traveling throughout the country doing missionary work and educating fellow African Americans.
Revels began his political pursuits after participating in the Civil War on the side of the Union Army. With no previous experience in politics, Revels was able to build enough community support to win the position of alderman in 1868. Two years later, the state congress selected Revels to fill a vacant seat in the United States Senate. This was a symbolic victory because the vacant seat was previously held by Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy.
While working in the Senate, the press often praised Revels for his oratory skills and diplomatic abilities. He took a moderate approach to address issues remaining after the Civil War. One of his signature issues was civil rights, including the integration of schools and equal opportunities for African-American workers.
Revels’ time in the Senate was short-lived because he resigned a year later to accept the position with Alcorn State University. His position as a president at a historically Black institution allowed Revels to directly participate in the academic progression of African Americans which he championed in the Senate.
With all of his other responsibilities, Revels continued to work with the Methodist Church and would preach publicly until the end of his life. Hiram R. Revels died on January 16, 1901, in his home state of Mississippi.
