20th century. We have a lot of artifacts from the house collection and have to do with that. And a lot of history to cover. And, the last africanamerican to be elected to the 19th century was 1901, george white of north carolina, and that was a long time before another africanamerican comes into the house. And we have a couple of where artifacts from the 19 twenties and thirties. But before i launch into that, because i love them so much. Tell us a little bit about oscar priest and how he got into congress. Theres a long period, almost three decades after George Henry White where there is no African Americans who served in the house or senate. That has everything to do with the gym crow laws that them go on the books in the south. The way that that changes over time during those decades, there is a critical thing going on in the south where African Americans begin to leave the cell and move northward as part of a multi decade movement that would later be called the great migration. That begins, depending on which historian you talk to the 1890s, and runs through world war ii. It picks up momentum and around world war i there is a need in the north to fill industrial jobs and jobs that have upheld by men that have now gone off to fight war with. You see tens of thousands of African Americans moving northward out of the rural south, out of that agricultural jobs into industrial jobs in chicago, st. Louis, cleveland, pittsburgh, new york and overtime, the African American population increases. The african mayor king in those cities are gradually recruited by the political parties. And oscar de priest is a perfect example of that process. He actually is born in the cell he and his family are part of a group called the exit dusters, they moved the bid west of kansas, he goes to grade school and high school in kansas. He finds his way to chicago them in the 1890s and he moves up through the political system. He becomes a chicago city councilman in the mid 19 teens. And his career has some peaks and valleys. By the 1920s, he is part of the republican political machine in chicago. Im as an alderman. In 1928, when the sitting congressman from chicago, a very powerful republican who is on the appropriations committee, passes away mid congress in the fall elections, the priest runs for the seat and he wins, so 1929 he comes to the house of representatives. One of my favorite things about depries career. Is this little tiny button. It is really small. It says depries for congress. One of the things i love most about it is that they are very rare. There probably werent that many of them around initially. Very few survive. I think ive only seen one other two other in existence. If you think about this, this tiny little button worn on somebodys lapel, looking for all the world like any other button, this actually represents a revolution. The attempt to elect a African American to congress in decades. The presence of this little inch and a quarter diameter piece of metal, that would have been a real statement on the part of whomever was wearing it. I love that it has survived and come back to the place that whoever owns this wanted him depriest to end up. That was u. S. Congress. When he got here, he then found a lot of, a lot that he was interested in. A lot that came to him that he didnt ask for perhaps. Especially in the way he was received, how he was perceived. He does end up being sort of the surrogate representative for African Americans in general. Absolutely. It must have been an interesting shift for him. He had come up through the chicago political machine, while he had advocated for his constituency in chicago, which was largely africanamerican, you didnt get the sense that he really embraced this role as a representative of African Americans generally until he comes to congress. A couple of things happen them, right off the bat almost immediately. That really forces him to take a very public role for African American political rights. He is symbolically and in fact the first African American to serve it a long time. But when he comes to congress, there is a bit of a firestorm in the press them. It was tradition for the first lady, in this case, herbert hoovers wife to have a tv for all the congressional wives and spouses them, now a day we would say wives in the late 19 twenties. That caused consternation because there is a few stubborn states that objected to the fact that the wives of their members of Congress Might actually have to have tea in the white house with an African American woman. There was even Southern States that had their legislatures pass resolutions asking hoover to make sure that this didnt happen. What hoover did was to divide the tea party into a couple different sessions, and the one that oscars wife was invited to was a very carefully preselected small group of congresswomen who she knew wouldnt object. This got out in the press and depriest just pillared the Southern State legislatures that had spoken up. This is the first roadblock he runs into. Another one happens here in the house about where his office is located. When he has, you know people dont want their to be the extra. Members say, i will not serve if they dont want to be serving with an africanamerican. And when we are doing some research on the history of who had what office in a different buildings, in the cannon house, just known as the house office building, it turned out that the place that depriest them was assigned was a bathroom. They ripped out the plumbing and made it a office for him. Somebody has to wonder if they chose it at the last minute they thought that it was just the bathroom. Next door its definitely these things that bubble up. From lots of primary source research, that our offices do, and where we learn the stories behind the stories. One other episode happens late in the priests career, when a staffer is essentially chief of staff, and they are asked to leave a restaurant. And move to a segregated room. Where African Americans could get lunch. In an adjoining space. And de priest objected to this. And surprisingly. And defended his secretary chief of staff. For i went after the chairman of what was then called Vehicles Committee omaha. Lindsay ward of north carolina, who had dictated that he needed to be segregated. And he comes on to the house floor, and the press pays a lot of attention to this, and his line essentially is, if we can have freedom, if we cant happen if we cant have a quality under the dome of the capitol, than wearing gods name are we going to get it . And the house creates a special committee to investigate segregation in the restaurant. But the issue dies in that committee. And the restaurant remains segregated. Well into the 20th century. Its interesting because that brings up for me thinking about, not just the experience of African American members in the 19th century, and early 20th century, but about the staff there. And the restaurants are good example because, in the 19th century, the privilege and responsibility and job of running the house restaurant, was given as a concession. Its somebody could have almost the franchise, of running that. And in the 18 sixties, after the civil war was over, that is awarded to a famous African American restaurant tour. And hes up in newport, hes famous, hes a caterer up there, and he comes down to run that restaurant, and his experience really is as someone who is a businessman. Who is operating in that space. And during the reconstruction period, there are some salient examples of African Americans being, the pioneers of being on staff. In the same way that the reconstruction period in African American members, are there are very few number, but they managed to be in positions that have not necessarily been created for them, but positions that have some weight and purpose in the house. Its an importance that these individuals were put in this position. One of them was william smith, who was a no he was appointed the house librarian in the 18 eighties. Its an appointed position. It is one of the most prominent positions, in the institution. And he is at that point, one of the highest ranking African Americans, in federal government. He had been brought along slowly, first came to the house and worked in the library, during the civil war. And he had been promoted by radical republicans. Send Nutter Sumner has helped pushed him along that senator sumner. And then the first African American, was a page who served in the house. He was from manchester virginia, and he was cross from james enrichment. He was appointed by a member, who is part of the reconstruction virginia government. Hes a carpetbagger from the north, former union officer. He serves in a district that represents richmond and its environment. He is appointed in 1871, he serves about a year and a half in the house. He is also the other connection there, is that he is the great grand nephew, of john mercer flanks ten. Who is in washington at the time. Yeah i think he was the dean our president of Howard University at the time. So there is this network, its interesting network of people who know other people. And who are able to move pieces around and make things happen. And then, you have George Downing in the 18 sixties, running the restaurant, right up to the chief of staff for oscar de priest being refused service in the house. So then after he takes on any champions, these issues that need champion running. He does then become a national figure. Then we have a collection that relates to that, and its a program from a speech he is giving, in dayton ohio very far from chicago. It doesnt even say what hes going to talk about, hes just going to speak and it happens at the local junior high school. There is a band, there is all kinds of terrific law around the whole thing, and he is preaching presented as a statesman, so towards the end of his career, probably imagining, early in his current congressional career also, is part of that whole notion of representation. The fact that you are representing people beyond the borders of your district or state. You are a national figure. But then we dont really think of, oscar de priest now as an national figure. Well we do, but many people dont. But there are some senior people who start to arrive, and do become national figures. Well yes de priest is defeated for reelection, but actually buy another African American from chicago, who is a democrat. Arthur mitchell. Hes the first elected as a democrat to congress. What you begin to see in that decade of the 19 thirties, and into the 19 forties. You see it very clearly in this chicago district that de priest is from. And there is a shift, an African American allegiance, away from the republican party, the party of lincoln, the party of reconstruction, to the democratic party, during the new deal. Part of that is, it has to do with the fact that African Americans are recruited by, the democratic leaders, and there is a promise of greater political participation. And that is the promise, that pulled African Americans from the south, during the great migration to begin with. Also, the fact that there is you know they have a slightly the have a voice, in the new Deal Coalition that Franklin Roosevelt puts together. So they begin to be drawn, towards the democratic party. Minstrel mitchell actually is the embodiment of that. Hes the opposite of de priest. He downplays the fact that he is an African American in congress. He does not want to push, black issues per se as he told the press on numerous occasions. And he serves for a couple terms, and he is replaced by another member, named william donaldson. Who is one of the longest serving African Americans. William dawson. They started off as a republican, move to the democratic party. And he is important because, by the late 1940s, he chairs the committee that will become, what we now call oversight, and government reform. It was Government Operations back in the 1940s. And he chairs that committee, really with the exception of a single term. For the rest of his career. So for two decades. He is another member who, comes into the institution and unlike who challenges things, he feels he makes can make changes and tries to effect change from his committee from his position of power as a committee member. In addition to being committee chair, and part of that institutional approach to things, he then has a portrait of himself as Many Committee chairman did, he has it created, and its one of the first portraits, of african of an African American in the u. S. Congress. And it really raises it to a very elevated place. So william dawsons portrait, is the first African American committee chair. And he is the First Committee chair. So it is a wonderful portrait, and it really represents him. It represents him as the embodiment of a committee chair. Its not one where theres lots of other elements in there as to who he is, its about the stature of the man. He is standing alone, he is standing in a conservative blue suit. He looks like a member of congress. That is something that is really important, that part of this is, part of his approach and many peoples approach to working, in congress is members is to be part of this important institution. And he uses that, and becomes an incredibly long serving committee chair. So william dawson, as chairman of Government Operations, he had a style that was very much a workhorse style. Behind the scenes, he didnt want to be in the media, a very quiet, determined but very lowkey person. He contrast the style, of legislative contrast markedly, with the fellow who is represented here. Well this is a wonderful book we have, its by adam clayton powell. Its marching blacks. Its published right after he is elected. And adam clayton powell, was someone who is ready with a program for progress. He is ready to tell you all about it. He was the pastor, of a Baptist Church in harlem. He represented the harlem district. And there is a very long he serves a very long time in congress. This is from the beginning of his congressional career, and later moving from paper form to wax, is a recording he made, its keep the faith baby. Its a series of speaking meditations, on a number of different issues. And these look and his career. Which is very long. He is not william dawson, he has a different approach of how to do things. All human beings, black and white rich and poor. Give your faith in the fellow man even though he abuses you. When he abuses you, he makes himself a lesser man. Great man once said, love your enemies. Less they cursed you. And pray, pray, pray, pray, i for them which despitefully use you. Keep the faith. Up through the 1970s, powell was the person who kind of embodied, civil rights in the house. Civil rights in congress. He is elected in 1944, he and dawson are the only two members of congress, for a number of congress is, since the early 19 fifties. Two very contrasting styles. Where dawson, is very behind the scenes, powers you know the other one is out front, pushing against segregation practices. In the house restaurant, in the press gallerys. He is constantly pushing the envelope. There is a great story, that we have covered in our book, black americans in congress, where some rayburn, revered longtime speaker of the house, from texas has a conversation with powell when he first comes in. And the gist of it is, freshman listen, quietly and learn. And dont go causing a ruckus. You can imagine that powell, this new yorker from harlem, listening to this texan. And explain to him the way of the house. And powell looked at him and said mister speaker, i have a bomb in multiple fans and im ready to bowl to roll them. But he had a great relationship with them, and according to rayburns account afterwards. But he is constantly pressing the envelope in the house. He gets on to the education and labor committee, very influential committee. Particularly by the 1960s, when we go through a reform period during the kennedy and johnson administrations. Particularly at the start of the great society, would lyndon johnson. He is chairman of the committee, and it pushes through 50, different measures related to education reforms. So a very substantive, legislator in addition to having a show horse kind of style. Very flamboyant. Another thing is those two aspects theres a part where he is known as mr. Civil rights, and hes very willing to champion civil rights on all levels. Both legislatively, and as a life of the house. I remember telling you once about you know even as seemingly minor as sitting in the house chamber. And where you sit in the house chamber, that to come up for him. Theres another story that one of his biographers tells us, and so sitting in the house chamber, the seeding actually is open, in respect to the party block tradition. The democrats the speakers, and the right republicans democrats left. Four who told the press, this man was a chairman of the committee, he said i refuse to sit next to a black man on the house floor. So what he did was follow him around for a day, this very Senior Member and take a seat next to him anytime he set down. And he forced the Senior Member to move around the chamber, which a lot of people took note of including the press. Afterwards powell told the reporter, i am a baptist minister and i dont know whe