Politician and Civil Rights activist. He was the first African American to serve in the Oklahoma territorial legislature. Following emancipation, he lived in Nashville until he joined the great westward movement. By 1877, he lived in Kansas, eventually establishing himself as a lawman in Topeka. He staked a claim in the Land Run of 1889 in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma Territory. With the support of Republican voters, he was one of five delegates elected to the House of Representatives from Kingfisher County. On August 27, 1890, he took his seat in the First Session of the Legislative Assembly of Oklahoma Territory. He introduced the first civil rights legislation in the territory but it was defeated. After one term in the legislative assembly, he served as Deputy United States Marshal and was appointed to the Colored Agricultural, Normal College (now Langston University) Board of Regents in 1897. He also held the position of grand master of the St. John Grand Lodge, Masonic Order of Oklahoma for the last nineteen years of his life.
Politician and Civil Rights activist. He was the first African American to serve in the Oklahoma territorial legislature. Following emancipation, he lived in Nashville until he joined the great westward movement. By 1877, he lived in Kansas, eventually establishing himself as a lawman in Topeka. He staked a claim in the Land Run of 1889 in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma Territory. With the support of Republican voters, he was one of five delegates elected to the House of Representatives from Kingfisher County. On August 27, 1890, he took his seat in the First Session of the Legislative Assembly of Oklahoma Territory. He introduced the first civil rights legislation in the territory but it was defeated. After one term in the legislative assembly, he served as Deputy United States Marshal and was appointed to the Colored Agricultural, Normal College (now Langston University) Board of Regents in 1897. He also held the position of grand master of the St. John Grand Lodge, Masonic Order of Oklahoma for the last nineteen years of his life.
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