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Before Scott Colom, these two men were the last black US senators in Mississippi
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- Scott Colom won a close race in Mississippi to become the state's first black US senator in over 150 years and only the third in its history.
- Mississippi, a deeply conservative southern state, last elected a Democrat to the US Senate in 1982 and had not seated a black senator since 1875.
- Colom follows Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce, the first two black senators from Mississippi who served during Reconstruction before Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation.
- A key factor in Colom's victory was his ability to mobilize young voters and the state's large black population, who turned out in high numbers.
- In his victory speech, Colom highlighted the historical significance of prayer and perseverance, while young voters expressed hope for political change in Mississippi.
