Junior’s Black History Month Fact Of The Day

Day 14 - First African American In The House of Representatives.

Joseph Hayne Rainey was born a slave on June 21, 1832. During the Civil War, Rainey was drafted by the Confederacy to work on military fortifications in the Charleston, S.C. He eventually escaped with his wife to Bermuda during the war. When he returned to Charleston he became politically active and fighting for civil rights.

In 1870, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first African American to serve in the United States House of Representatives. He was also the first African American presiding officer of the House of Representatives. He was the second black person to serve in the United States Congress (Hiram Revels).

And THAT is Junior's Black History Month Fact Of The Day!