He was the first black representative elected west of the Mississippi River.
There is currently one position as black representative.
Because of disfranchisement, there were no black representatives from the South in Congress.
The Government said it would not try to enact an amnesty over the opposition of black representatives.
Obviously, white-majority areas should never be thought of as places that will easily elect black representatives.
The general rule is that the whiter the jurisdiction, the more conservative its black representative will have to be.
But they also talked of the emotional importance of sending a black representative to Washington from the district.
The seat has been held by a black representative since.
And having a black representative in a rural district goes a long way toward shattering stereotypes about the policy positions minority candidates take.
The Council has not had a black representative since January 1986.