List of African American U.S. state firsts

African-American topics
African-American history
Atlantic slave trade · Maafa Slavery in the United States African-American military history Jim Crow laws · Redlining Civil Rights Movements 1896–1954 and 1955–1968 Afrocentrism · Reparations
African-American culture
African American studies Neighborhoods · Juneteenth Kwanzaa · Art · Museums Dance · Literature · Music · Schools · Historic colleges and universities
Religion
Black church · Black theology Black liberation theology Doctrine of Father Divine Black Hebrew Israelites American Society of Muslims Nation of Islam · Rastafari
Political movements
Pan-Africanism · Black Power Nationalism · Capitalism Conservatism · Populism Leftism · Black Panther Party Garveyism
Civic and economic groups
NAACP · SCLC · CORE · SNCC · NUL Rights groups · ASALH · UNCF NBCC · NPHC · The Links · NCNW
Sports
Negro league baseball CIAA · SIAC · MEAC · SWAC
Ethnic sub-divisions
Black Indians · Gullah · Igbo
Languages
English · Gullah · Creole African American Vernacular
Diaspora
Liberia · Nova Scotia · France Sierra Leone · United Kingdom
Lists
African Americans National firsts · State firsts Landmark legislation Black diaspora Index
Category · Portal
This box: view • talk • edit

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."^[1][2]

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: Oscar Dunn, Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana

• 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 State Assembly

• 1966

First African American woman Texas state senator: Barbara Jordan

First African American appointed to New York State Board of Regents: Kenneth Bancroft Clark

• 1967

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

• 1969

First African American elected mayor of a Mississippi city since Reconstruction: Charles Evers, in Fayette, Mississippi^[3]

• 1979

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

• 1980

First African-American Speaker of the California State 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

• 2002

First African-American Lieutenant Governor of Maryland: Michael Steele

• 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: David Paterson

• 2008

First African-American woman elected Speaker of the California State Assembly: Karen Bass (also first state assembly speaker in U.S.)

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

• 2009

First bicameral state legislature to have both chambers headed simultaneously by African Americans: Peter Groff and Terrance Carroll of Colorado.

See also

African American portal

• List of first African American mayors

Footnotes

This African American-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.