Political Empowerment of Illinois' African-American State Lawmakers from 1877 to 2005

This book is the first to document Illinois African-American state lawmakers who have served in Illinois General Assembly from the Reconstruction Era to 2005. The book includes U.S. Senator Barack Obama; the late Mayor Harold Washington of Chicago; Secretary of State Jesse White; Senator Carol Moseley Braun; and John Thomas, the first African American to serve in the Illinois General Assembly. This research can be readily used by students, scholars, and the general public.