Most influential Black politicians in American history

Historically, Black political power has not come easy in the United States. The institution of slavery and systems of racial inequality – from Black Codes to Jim Crow – restricted the civil and political rights of African Americans for centuries.  But through activism and great sacrifice, Black Americans have built political power over time. That power is not more exemplified than in Washington, the nation’s capital. From the first Black president to the first African American woman ever elected to the United States Congress, Black people have made considerable gains – and helped to change the face of U.S. politics as we know it. Here is theGrio’s list of most influential Black politicians in American history. Hiram Rhodes Revels Hiram Revels is depicted around 1870, the year he was elected to the U.S. Senate. (Artist unknown; Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images/via Getty Images) Hiram Rhodes Revels broke political barriers in 1870 when he was elected to the United States Senate, becoming the first African-American person to enter either chamber of Congress. Revels, born in North Carolina, was a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. During the Civil War, he served as a chaplain for the United States Army. He...