Political Quotes

“as Black History Month comes to a close in our land, I rise this afternoon to draw attention to the fact that the first African-American U.S. Senator in our Republic's history was Hiram Rhodes Revels of my State of Mississippi. As a matter of fact, 150 years ago this week, history was made in this very room when Hiram Rhodes Revels took the oath of office and broke the color barrier in the U.S. Senate. There was celebration. There was a congratulation on both sides of the aisle, but it was not unanimous. As a matter of fact, eight Senators objected to the seating of Hiram Revels as a U.S. Senator, simply because he was a Black man. Thank goodness it was only eight and that position did not prevail, and Hiram Revels entered the history books of the United States of America as being our first African-American Senator. In a moment, I will ask unanimous consent for the consideration of a resolution commemorating this momentous occasion, some 150 years ago this week. I will not read the entire resolution that I have, but I point out that I have a resolution cosponsored on a very bipartisan basis by 71 of my fellow Senators. Pointing out a few things about the history of this extraordinary public servant, this giant of American history, Hiram Rhodes Revels was born a free African American in 1827 in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, NC. He was well-educated in a number of States, including North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois.…”