Samuel Allen McElwee (1857-1914)

During the first twenty-five years following the American Civil War and the emancipation, many African American men in the South were elected to state legislatures and local government posts. Among those in Tennessee was Samuel Allen McElwee from Haywood County, one of the two western … Read MoreSamuel Allen McElwee (1857-1914)

James Coody Johnson (1864-1927)

James Coody Johnson was an African Creek lawyer, politician and entrepreneur, and a leading voice for inclusion of African Americans both before and after Oklahoma statehood.  Johnson was the son of Robert Johnson, the African Creek interpreter for the Seminole nation and Elizabeth Davis (Johnson), … Read MoreJames Coody Johnson (1864-1927)