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When Oscar Stanton De Priest Was the Only Black Person in Congress
He Served Six Years as the Only Black Person in the House or the Senate
When Oscar Stanton De Priest was the only Black Member serving in Congress during each of his three terms between 1929–1935, he wasn’t the first to be the sole Black Representative out of 535. That distinction belonged to George Henry White, who served two terms between 1897–1901, representing the 2nd District of North Carolina. Jim Crow laws had eliminated all the other Black members of Congress with several voter suppression tactics, including the grandfather clause that disenfranchised over 100,000 Black voters. During the 28 years separating White’s and De Priest’s terms, there were no Black members of the House or the Senate.
When Oscar Stanton De Priest came into office in 1929, I can’t identify any member of the House or Senate that had ever served in Congress with a Black man or woman. Congress had adjustments to make, and they didn’t come easy. There were Black employees, like custodians working in those buildings. There were private restaurants for the House and Senate members and two public restaurants, one in the basement where Black employees were allowed. De Priest was eventually allowed in the segregated House restaurant. He wasn’t allowed to dine with his Black aide. De…
