Oscar Stanton De Priest

Congressman Oscar De Priest was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1929 to represent Illinois’ 1st Congressional District. De Priest, a Republican, was the first African American elected to Congress in the 20th century and the first Black representative elected from a northern state. His election ended a 28-year absence of Black legislators in Congress. A well-known Chicago businessman and politician, De Priest was the only Black legislator during the 71st-73rd Congresses (1929-1935). While in office, he spoke out against racial discrimination, calling for the desegregation of the House restaurant and key government initiatives such as Roosevelt’s work programs. Notably, De Priest appointed Benjamin O. Davis Jr. to the United States Military Academy when the only African American line officer in the Army was Davis’s father. Upon leaving Congress, De Priest returned to Chicago City Council and was an alderman.