George Washington Williams
George Washington Williams was Ohio’s first African American legislator. He was a Civil War veteran and an ordained minister who took up the study of law while living in Cincinnati.
He was also a historian who wrote the first comprehensive history of African Americans from their perspective, History of the Negro Race in America from 1619 to 1880: Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as Citizens.
Williams was elected to represent Hamilton County and served one term in the House from 1880-1881. Later, he gained respect as a published historian and actively championed civil justice. He contracted tuberculosis and died in Blackpool, England, in 1891 at the age of 41.
Related Article: The History of African Americans in Cincinnati
The George Washington Williams Memorial Room is located on the first floor of the Statehouse building. It honors Ohio’s first African American legislator. In addition to images of Mr. Williams, the 1880s-style room features photographs of other African Americans who followed Williams and served in the legislature.
Other African Americans elected from the greater Cincinnati to the Ohio Legislature include William Copeland (1888-1889), George Henry Jackson (1892-1893), William H. Parham (1896-1897), A. Lee Beaty (1917-1920), Richard P. McClain (1935-1936), A. Bruce McClure (1951-1958), William F. Bowen (1967-1994), William Mallory (1967-1994), James W. Rankin (1971-1978), L. Helen Rankin (1978-1994), Janet Howard (1995-1998), Samuel Britton (1995-2002), Mark Mallory (1995-2005), Eric Kearney (2005-2014), Dale Mallory (2007-2014), Alicia Reese (2011-2019), Sedrick Denson (2019-present), Catherine Ingram (2019-present), and Cecil Thomas (2015-present).
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About The First 28
The First 28, graciously sponsored by the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, celebrates Black Cincinnatians who were the first in their fields. Each day during Black History Month, we will celebrate athletes, artists, business leaders, civil rights activists, educators, physicians, and politicians.
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Images provided by Ohio State House
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