List of African-American US state firsts.html



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African Americans are a demographic minority in the United States. African-Americans' initial achievements in various fields historically establish a foothold, providing a precedent for more widespread cultural change. The shorthand phrase for this is "breaking the color barrier."¹²

In addition to major, national- and international-level firsts, African-Americans have achieved firsts on a statewide basis.

19th century

• 1868

First elected African-American lieutenant governor of Louisiana: Oscar Dunn (Also first in U.S.)

• 1872

First African-American governor of Louisiana: P.B.S. Pinchback (Also first in U.S.) (Non-elected; see also Douglas Wilder, 1990)

20th century

• 1918

First African American elected to political office on the West Coast: Frederick Madison Roberts, California Assembly

• 1966

First African American woman Texas state senator: Barbara Jordan

• 1967

First African-American woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar: Marian Wright Edelman

• 1979

First African American elected to a statewide office in Illinois: Roland Burris, office of Comptroller

• 1980

First African-American Speaker of the California Assembly: Willie Lewis Brown, Jr.

• 1990

First African-American governor of Virginia: Douglas Wilder (Also first elected governor in US; see also P. B. S. Pinchback, 1872)

21st century

• 2004

First African-American Oklahoma Supreme Court justice: Tom Colbert

• 2006

First African American elected governor of Massachusetts: Deval Patrick

First African-American lieutenant governor of New York State: David Paterson

• 2008

First African-American woman elected Speaker of the California State Assembly: Karen Bass (Also first state assembly speaker in US)

First African-American governor of New York State: David Paterson (elected as lieutenant governor, succeeded on resignation of previous governor)

See also

• List of first African-American mayors

Footnotes

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