February 25, 1870, marks one of the most dramatic moments in American history. The First Black American to ever serve in the U.S. Congress was sworn in on that date at 4:40 PM.
Hiram Revels of Mississippi was sworn in as the First Black U.S. Senator as noted on the very top of the front page of The New York Times the following day.
U.S Senator Hiram Revels, this day 139 years ago, became the first of only 6 African Americans who ever served in the Senate in almost 150 years, while during the same century and one half, a few thousand White Americans have.
One of three states have ever sent an African American to the U.S. Senate. Mississippi twice, Massachusetts once and Illinois three times. That is the entire list. Maybe most noticeable among the other 47 states in our Union is New York State, which has never sent an African American to the Senate.
Senator Revels arrived in Washington in January, 1870, from Mississippi carrying his credentials. But for over a month, segregationist senators from the North and South voted not to accept Revels credentials. Sound familiar?
They argued that even after emancipation, there was still no “right” for Blacks to serve in the U.S. Congress. The debate was bitter between Revels attackers and his supporters. Finally on the afternoon of February 25, 1870, Revels opponents were overwhelmed by his supporters and his credentials were accepted.
Hiram Revels was escorted in the very same Senate Chambers of today, strode to the well of the Senate, raised his right hand and walked into American history as a pioneer.
And believe it or not, on this February 25, 2009, here in the ‘enlightened’ 21st century there will be NO ceremonies to mark this historic occasion in the U.S. Senate, but rather there is a determined, vicious and malignant attempt by the most powerful White U.S. Senators, led by Democratic U.S. Senator Harry Reed and Democratic U.S. Senator Dick Durban, to brow beat the ONLY African American in the U.S. Senate today – Senator Roland Burris, as they try to bully him to resign and incredibly to be replaced by some other WHITE U.S. Senator from Illinois.
This will return the U.S Senate to the all White character it has retained most of the time for more than 200 years of its history. Only for the briefest of periods has there ever been a single Black U.S. Senator. Never in American history have TWO Black Americans ever served in the U.S. Senate at the same time.
Adding insult to this injury of trying to get Senator Burris to resign, President Obama through his White House Press Secretary’s comments has encouraged Burris’ detractors and added his name to those who want to see Burris gone.
Whatever poor associations Senator Burris may have, having been appointed by the former governor of Illinois, other White Senators, have been stained by far worse allegations and have never suffered the intense pressure being brought on Senator Burris to resign. Fellow Democrats, there is only one dominant issue here.
The fact is that Senator Burris is the ONLY Black U.S. Senator. The all powerful symbolism is overwhelming. If Senator Burris is driven from the Senate it is likely to be a decade and possibly much, much longer before we see another African American serving in the United States Senate, the most “exclusive” all WHITE club on Earth.
Honor the singular accomplishment of U.S. Senator Hiram Revels, the first black U.S. Senator. Tell Senators Reed & Durbin to go to Hell for trying to remove African American U.S. Senator Burris from the U.S. Senate today.
Source: Caribworldnews.com
