Fight for Voting Rights Today
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Scholar-Griot: Adamali De La Cruz
Editor: Robert S. Smith, PhD
It cannot be denied that progress has happened and it did not come easy. Many volunteers who were involved in the civil rights movement, especially those in Mississippi for the Freedom Project, put not just their bodies on the line, but also their lives.
Thankfully, the sacrifices and gains made by various volunteers, activists, and everyday people were not in vain. Over the course of the last 60 years we have seen a number of Black elected officials across the nation and in Wisconsin, as well as increased voter activity. This increase in Black political activity is a direct consequence of increasing voter accessibility and making sure people’s voting rights are protected. Below is a short, introductory list on some notable Black elected officials since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Some are local to Wisconsin and some have had far more reaching influence nationwide.
- Barack Obama - elected in 2008 as the first black president of the United States; re-elected in 2012.
- Shirley Chisholm - elected in 1969, Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman to be elected as a US Representative. She also became the first black woman to run for president in 1972.1
- Jesse Jackson - Running in 1984, Jackson only secured 3.2 million votes in the primary election. Jackson attempted a second time in 1988 and secured more votes than the first time.2
George Edwin Taylor ran as the presidential candidate for the National Liberty Party in 1904 making him one of the earliest African Americans to run for the presidential office. Public domain.
- George Edwin Taylor - born in 1857, Taylor first rose to political prominence while living in Iowa and became the first black person to run for president as the nominee for the National Liberty Party in 1904.3
Attorney Lloyd Barbee in front of the Capitol building in Madison, WI. Wisconsin Historical Society.
- Lloyd Barbee - Besides having had a stellar career as a civil rights activist, Barbee also served in the Wisconsin State Assembly pushing for many progressive laws including protection of women’s rights, LGBT+ rights, and fair housing access in Wisconsin.4
Portrait of Mrs. Vel Rodgers Phillips. Wisconsin Historical Society.
- Vel Phillips - Known for her persistence in passing a fair housing law in Milwaukee, Phillips also broke many barriers in politics serving as the first black person to be appointed to Milwaukee’s Common Council, becoming the first black woman to be appointed a judge, and being the first black woman to be elected to a state executive office.5
- The Coggs Family - Going back five generations, the Coggs family has cemented their legacy as leaders of not just Milwaukee, but of Wisconsin due to the variety of offices that members of the family have held. Members of the Coggs family have served as city treasurers, assembly persons, and aldermen. Notable members of the Coggs family include Isaac Coggs, Marcia P. Coggs, and Milele Coggs.
- Cavalier Johnson - Elected in a special election in 2022 after Tom Barett resigned his position of mayor for an ambassador position, Johnson, at age 35, became Milwaukee’s first black mayor with a landslide of 72% of votes.6
- And many many more…
The people listed above are just some of the many examples in which African Americans in the United States have been able to contribute to the governing system of this country.
Still, there is much to be done and more to be learned. See this article on voting under Jim Crow that also has a section on challenges some people face when attempting to vote today.
Click here to view more Risking Everything: The Fight For Black Voting Rights.
Endnotes
1https://nmaahc.si.edu/shirley-chisholm-president
2https://dp.la/exhibitions/outsiders-president-elections/african-americans/jesse-jackson
3https://libguides.uwlax.edu/GeorgeEdwinTaylor
4https://uwm.edu/marchonmilwaukee/keyterms/barbee-lloyd-a/
5https://milwaukeebronzevillehistories.org/items/show/9
6https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2022/04/05/meet-milwaukees-new-mayor-cavalier-johnson/
Scholar-Griot, Adamali De La Cruz is the Education and Griot Coordinator at America’s Black Holocaust Museum. She is a graduate of Marquette University's History department with a focus on medieval studies. She joined ABHM as a Griot/Center for Urban Research and Teaching Outreach (CURTO) Intern in 2022 and formally joined the ABHM Ed. Dept in 2023. As the Education and Griot Coordinator, Adamali has developed the Junior Griot Program for high school students, coordinates with volunteers, has assisted in formalizing the college internship program at ABHM, and writing of virtual exhibits and other public history projects that ABHM contributes to.
Editor, Dr. Robert S. Smith is the Harry G. John Professor of History and the Director of the Center for Urban Research, Teaching & Outreach at Marquette University. He serves as ABHM’s Director of Education and Resident Historian. His research and teaching interests include African American history, civil rights history, and exploring the intersections of race and law. Dr. Smith is the author of Black Liberation from Reconstruction to Black Lives Matter and Race, Labor & Civil Rights; Griggs v. Duke Power and the Struggle for Equal Employment Opportunity. Prior to joining Marquette University, Dr. Smith served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Global Inclusion & Engagement and Director of the Cultures & Communities Program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. And, Rob is the proud father of Henderson Marcellus Smith.
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