Rep. Jim Clyburn from South Carolina may be one of the most notable Black congressmen within and beyond his state. However, he does not forget who paved the way for his political position, nor does he want the public to.
According to NPR, eight men served in U.S. politics before contemporary leaders like Clyburn. Their appointments during and after the Reconstruction period brought them backlash and other obstacles. However, their steadfast resilience ensured that today’s Congress held similar and crucial representation.
This detailing of the Black political leaders from generations before has been highlighted in Clyburn’s latest book, The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation. Released Nov. 11, the book prominently details the legacy of these men, particularly Robert Smalls.
Smalls smuggled his family aboard a Confederate transport ship, steering the ship to their freedom among Union forces. His stewardship and courage made him the first African American captain in the U.S. Navy.
Another leader, George Washington Murray, became the only Black representative in Congress in the late 1800s. However, his dealings with voter fraud and redistricting to disenfranchise Black voters felt eerily similar to today’s current political state. Upon researching his congressional journey, Clyburn felt it crucial to remind readers of this history. Furthermore, he wants these stories to ensure history does not repeat itself.
“When I saw what was happening after the 2020 elections, someone had taken the playbook from the 1876 election,” he said. “The book was going to be just to inform people about these guys, but then it got to the point that it was, ‘no, it’s got to be more instructive than informant’ and so I almost started over with the book.”
Clyburn hopes the book not only educates about this forgotten Black history but serves as a call-to-action against figures opposing equality and justice. Clyburn emphasized the need to remember the lives of these “First Eight,” as their plights could remedy the struggles witnessed today.
“Anything that’s happened before can happen again,” he said. “And so you cannot allow this President [Trump], with this majority in the Congress, to cause you to react to their foolishness, because that’s what happened before and it will happen again if you aren’t careful.”
The First Eight is available now for purchase across multiple retailers.
SOURCE: blackenterprise.com