February 25th: Today in 1870 after a challenge to his eligibilty Hiram Revels is sworn into the Senate becoming the first Black American to serve in Congress. Senator Sumner made the closing argument for his admission saying “”All men are created equal, says the great Declaration, and now a great act attests to this verity. Today we make the Declaration a reality.” Sadly it wasn’t true, Black voters faced a raft of restrictions over the next hundred years, but Revels did a fine job and set a high example for others to follow.

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