of the house chairman of the ways and means committee in the appropriations committee and then charles sumner of massachusetts, the great radical leader in the senate wanted this program the 30 the mind of flesh and blood he occupied a senate seat that had been held by a man named albert brown who left the chamber in 1861 when the state seceded it is a very powerful, symbolic appointment. a former slave holder and he was i hire -- hiram level taking his seat as a dictator earlier. as henderson rose son of massachusetts as quarter rose to the front of the chamber to take is up on february 201570 the atlanta constitution had a reporter in the galleries who wrote the, the crowded galleries rose almost on mass, and these particular neck was stretched to its utmost to give you of curious crowds colored and white rushed into the senate chamber and gazed at the senator, sunken vessel letting him. very respectable looking to ma well-dressed company of colored men and women in came up, took preble's captive and bore him off in glee in triumph. well, it was short-lived because after his short appointme

will someone championed by charles sumner, great radical republican senator from massachusetts.at was two years earlier in 1869. that is the story we are still learning. we put them on our web page and it is exciting. it is multilayered and we are always on to something new. [applause] >> thank you so much. now at this time i would like to introduce congressman barbara lee. she is u.s. representative from california's ninth congressional district serving since 1998. she is the first woman to represent the district. she is the former chair of the congressional black caucus and was former co-chair of the progressive caucus. interesting fact she began her political career as an intern in the office of her predecessor. former oakland mayor as well. eventually she became chief of staff before being elected to congress serving as california state assembly and california state senate. [applause] >> good morning. let me first thank matt from the house historian's office for his presentation today. and a boy and congress one frederica wilson for your willing -- your tenacity and for orga

it was a republican by the name of senator charles sumner who got the equal rights movement on its feet a leader of the radical republicans, sounds very familiar when they start talking about tea party republicans. senator sumner wrote and sheparded the first ever civil rights bill through congress. it was a republican president and the great general grant, who signed it into law the same day that it passed. and that comprehensive bill, the civil rights act of 1875, would become the blueprint for every subsequent piece of civil rights legislation to come before congress despite the fact that it was struck down by a backward-looking court. . it was republicans who called for racial justice in the armed forces, not only allowing black soldiers to serb their country but allowing them to serve alongside their white brothers. it was judge tuttle who ruled in favor of civil rights and forced the university of mississippi to admit its first ever black college student tasms republican supreme court justice who offered the decision in brown vs. the board of education that recognized racial segre