The first Black woman in the Mississippi Legislature now has her portrait in the state Capitol

By Emily Wagster Pettus | The Associated Press Former State Rep. Alyce Clarke, D-Jackson, inspects her official portrait in the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Clarke is the first woman and the first African American to have a portrait displayed in the state Capitol. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Former Rep. Alyce Clarke was the& first Black woman& elected to the Mississippi Legislature, and now she is the first Black person — and first woman — to have a portrait on display in the state Capitol. She smiled Tuesday as fellow lawmakers, friends and supporters honored her during a ceremony to unveil the oil painting, which has a prominent spot in the room where the House Education Committee meets. Clarke, an 84-year-old Democrat from Jackson, served 39 years before deciding not to seek reelection in 2023. “Thank God, I’ve had more good days than I’ve had bad days,” she said during a ceremony. “And I’d just like to thank everybody who’s here. I’d like to help everybody who’s helped me to get here because I did nothing by myself.” Former Mississippi State Rep. Alyce Clarke, D-Jackson, right, hugs State Rep. Tamarra Grace...