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The claim: John Hanson was the first Black president of the United States
In the past few years, multiple social media posts have declared John Hanson, not Barack Obama, as the first Black president of the United States. The posts, which often feature a black-and-white photo of a man in glasses, also claim Hanson was the very first U.S. president, even before George Washington.
Historians like James Robinson, formerly of the Durkeeville Historical Society Museum, credited the late comedian Dick Gregory with popularizing the belief about John Hanson in the 1990s.
In May 2016, a Facebook post stated Hanson, misspelled Hansen, was the United States’ first Black president. Barack Obama Was Never The First Black President. John Hansen Was The First Black President & He Also The First President Of The United States Even Before George Washington. We Never Hear About Him In Black History At All, the post, which is a photo of another post, claimed.