George Washington Williams, First African American elected from Cincinnati to the Ohio Legislature

Learn About George Washington Williams.

George Washington Williams, a late 19th-century African American journalist, lawyer, minister, and historian, authored the first comprehensive history of African Americans from their own perspective. W.E.B. Du Bois called Williams “the greatest historian of the race.” Williams’ two-volume work, “History of the Negro Race in America from 1619 to 1880: Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as Citizens,” offers an extensive account of African American experiences.

Beyond Literary Contributions

Beyond literary contributions, Williams founded “The Commoner,” a respected Black national newspaper. He became the first African American member of the Ohio state legislature, representing Hamilton County in the House from 1880 to 1881. During his tenure, Williams passionately advocated for legislation to improve Cincinnati’s police force.

Williams was elected to represent Hamilton County and served one term in the House from 1880-1881. Later, Willaims 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.

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).

Sources

Ohio Statehouse

About The First 28

The First 28, graciously sponsored by the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, celebrates Black Cincinnatians who were the first in certain fields.

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