Begins at a time when most blacks lived in slavery and were barred from the political process and ends with the influential era of the 1980's describing the effects of black members of the Congress. Includes: Ed Brooke, Shirley Chisholm, John Conyers, Ron Dellums, Mike Espy, William Gray, Augustus Hawkins, Barbara Jordan, Ralph Metcalfe, Kweisi Mfume, Robert Nix, Sr., Major Owens, Adam Clayton Powel, Jr., Charles Rangel, Gus Savage, Louis Stokes, Harold Washington, Andrew Young, Jr. and more. Photo or painting of each member.

Black Americans in Congress, 1870-2007 provides a comprehensive history of the more than 120 African Americans who have served in the United States Congress from 1870 through 2007. Individual profiles are introduced by contextual essays that explain major events in congressional and U.S. history. Illustrated with many portraits, photographs, and charts. House Document 108-224. 3d edition. Edited by Matthew Wasniewski. Paperback edition. Questions that are answered include: How many African Americans have served in the U.S. Congress? How did Reconstruction, the Great Migration, and the post-World War II civil rights movement affect black Members of Congress? Who was the first African American to chair a congressional committee? Read about: Pioneers who overcame racial barriers, such as Oscar De Priest of Illinois, the first African American elected to Congress in the 20th century, and Shirley Chisholm of New York, the first black CongresswomanMasters of institutional politics, such as Augustus "Gus" Hawkins of California, Louis Stokes of Ohio, and Julian Dixon of CaliforniaNotables such as Civil War hero Robert Smalls of South Carolina, civil rights champion Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., of New York, and constitutional scholar Barbara Jordan of TexasAnd many more. Black Americans in Congress also includes: Pictures-including rarely seen historical images-of each African American who has served in CongressBibliographies and references to manuscript collections for each MemberStatistical graphs and chartsA comprehensive index Other related products: African Americans resources collection can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/african-americans Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005 can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/052-071-01418-7 Women in Congress, 1917-2006 --Hardcover format can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/052-070-07480-9 United States Congressional Serial Set, Serial No. 14903, House Document No. 223, Women in Congress, 1917-2006 is available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/552-108-00040-0 Hispanic Americans in Congress, 1822-2012 --Print Hardcover format can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/052-071-01563-9 --Print Paperback format can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/052-071-01567-1 --ePub format available for Free download is available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/052-300-00008-8 --MOBI format is available for Free download here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/052-300-00010-0

Updated through January 2019, Black Americans in Congress 1870-2019 is written for a general audience and researched using primary and secondary sources. The 2019 eBook edition is based on the 2008 print edition. The eBook also provides readers the opportunity to link to the Black Americans in Congress exhibition page maintained by the Office of the Historian at http: //history.house.gov

With illustrated biographies, this title chronicles African Americans' participation in the federal legislature and their struggle to attain full civil rights from;1870 to 1887.