African Americans in the Arkansas Legislature, 1868-1986

NameCountyBranchPartyTerm
ADAIR, B. F.PulaskiHouseDemocrat1891-1892
AGERY, Jack1    
BELL, George W.2DeshaSenateRepublican1891-1894
CARR, John H.PhillipsHouseRepublican1889-1894
DAWSON, R. A.3JeffersonHouse 1873-1874
  Senate 1879-1880
DAWSON, S. W.JeffersonHouseRepublican1889-1892
DONAHOO, J. N.4PhillipsHouseRepublican1877-1878
  House 1887-1892
FORBUSH, W. H.LeeHouse 1879-1880
GILLIAM, IsaacPulaskiHouse 1879-1880
GRAY, William E.5PulaskiHouse 1881-1882
GRAY, William H.6PhillipsHouse 1868-1870
HAIRS, Ferdinand3JeffersonHouse 1873-1874
HAWKINS, Monroe6LafayetteHouse 1868-1870
  House 1873-1874
JEWELL, Dr. Jerry D.PulaskiSenate 1973-1986
JOHNSON, Henry A.ChicotHouseRepublican1891-1892
JOHNSON, Thomas P.6Pulaski   
LOWE, G. W.MonroeHouseRepublican1889-1892
LUCAS, J. Gray7JeffersonHouseRepublican1891-1892
MASON, James W.6ChicotSenate 1868-1872
MURPHY, R. A.JeffersonHouse 1879-1880
MURPHY, William6JeffersonHouse 1877-1878
RECTOR, Henry6Pulaski   
SAMUELS, Richard R.6HempsteadHouse 1868-1870
WATSON, G. W.CrittendenHouseRepublican1891-1892
WEDDINGTON, R. C.DeshaHouseRepublican1891-1892
WHITE, James T.8PhillipsHouse 1868-1870
  Senate 1871-1874
WILLIAMS, H. N.LincolnHouseRepublican1891-1892
WOOLFOLK, S. L.JeffersonHouseRepublican1889-1892
1A Black speaker during 1872 election.
2First Black to serve in Senate.  Graduate of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and a school teacher.
3Represented district consisting of Jefferson, Bradley, Grant and Lincoln counties.
4Only 20 years old when elected.
5Only Black to serve in 1881 General Assembly.
6One of eight Black delegates to the 1868 Constitutional Convention.
7Honor graduate of Boston University Law School.
8Delegate to 1868 and 1874 Constitutional Conventions.