© 2026 WNIJ and WNIU
Northern Public Radio
801 N 1st St.
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-9000
Northern Public Radio
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

America's first black legislators and the work to revive their legacies

WUGA | By Emma Auer
Published June 30, 2026 at 3:43 AM CDT

Alfred Richardson and Madison Davis were the first black legislators in Athens, Georgia, elected in 1868. The backlash against them still reverberates today.

Copyright 2026 WUGA
Emma Auer