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List of African-American speakers of U.S. state legislatures facts for kids

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The following is a list of African-American speakers of U.S. state legislatures.

Upper houses

Portrait Name Party Title Legislature Term start Term end Notes
Rep. Barbara Jordan - Restoration.jpg Barbara Jordan Democratic President pro tempore Texas Senate March 28, 1972 March 30, 1972
No image.svg Cecil A. Partee Democratic President Illinois Senate January 8, 1975 February 16, 1977
Craig Washington 102nd Congress 1991.jpg Craig Washington Democratic President pro tempore Texas Senate December 8, 1989 December 12, 1989
No image.svg Joe Neal Democratic President pro tempore Nevada Senate 1991 1991
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis.jpg Rodney Ellis Democratic President pro tempore Texas Senate May 31, 1999 January 9, 2001
No image.svg Rosa Franklin Democratic President pro tempore Washington State Senate January 8, 2001 January 13, 2003
June 30, 2004 January 10, 2011
No image.svg Shirley Turner Democratic President pro tempore New Jersey Senate January 8, 2002 January 12, 2010
Emil Jones at UIC Feb23 2009 Cropped.jpg Emil Jones Democratic President Illinois Senate January 8, 2003 January 3, 2009
No image.svg Diana Bajoie Democratic President pro tempore Louisiana State Senate January 12, 2004 January 14, 2008
Keynote speaker Margaret Carter (8113364377).jpg Margaret Carter Democratic President pro tempore Oregon State Senate 2005 2009
Peter Groff official portrait.jpg Peter Groff Democratic President pro tempore Colorado Senate January 12, 2005 January 9, 2008
President January 9, 2008 January 7, 2009
Hasan Ansari with Hon. State Senator Royce West (cropped).JPG Royce West Democratic President pro tempore Texas Senate April 17, 2006 January 8, 2007
Nathaniel J. McFadden (2007).jpg Nathaniel J. McFadden Democratic President pro tempore Maryland Senate January 10, 2007 January 9, 2019
Sharon Weston Broome.jpg Sharon Weston Broome Democratic President pro tempore Louisiana State Senate January 14, 2008 January 11, 2016
Smith.jpg Malcolm Smith Democratic Temporary President New York State Senate January 7, 2009 June 8, 2009
Nia Gill 2008.jpg Nia Gill Democratic President pro tempore New Jersey Senate January 12, 2010 January 9, 2018
No image.svg Harold Metts Democratic President pro tempore Rhode Island Senate January 3, 2017 January 5, 2021
(03-02-20) NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (cropped).jpg Andrea Stewart-Cousins Democratic Temporary President New York State Senate January 9, 2019 Incumbent
Melony Griffith at a Bill Signing in 2022 (sq cropped).jpg Melony G. Griffith Democratic President pro tempore Maryland Senate January 8, 2020 January 11, 2023
Louise Lucas.jpg Louise Lucas Democratic President pro tempore Virginia Senate January 8, 2020 Incumbent
James Manning in 2018.jpg James Manning Jr. Democratic President pro tempore Oregon State Senate January 11, 2021 Incumbent
Zcunn9 jerseyjournal (3051735097).jpg Sandra Bolden Cunningham Democratic President pro tempore New Jersey Senate January 11, 2022 Incumbent
Malcolm Augustine Mar2023.jpg Malcolm Augustine Democratic President pro tempore Maryland Senate January 11, 2023 Incumbent

Lower houses

Portrait Name Party Title Legislature Term start Term end Notes
John R. Lynch.jpg John R. Lynch Republican Speaker Mississippi House of Representatives January 1872 January 1873 First African-American Speaker of any state legislature
No image.svg Samuel J. Lee Republican Speaker South Carolina House of Representatives 1872 1874
Robert B. Elliott.jpg Robert B. Elliott Republican Speaker South Carolina House of Representatives November 24, 1874 April 14, 1876
Isaac D. Shadd, publisher, legislator, abolitionist.png Isaac Shadd Republican Speaker Mississippi House of Representatives 1874 1876
No image.svg S. Howard Woodson Democratic Speaker New Jersey General Assembly 1974 1976 First African-American speaker of any state legislature in the United States since the Reconstruction era
Representatives K. Leroy Irvis, speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, delivers an address during the commissioning of the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS PITTSBURGH.jpg K. Leroy Irvis Democratic Speaker Pennsylvania House of Representatives May 23, 1977 November 30, 1978
January 4, 1983 November 30, 1988
Willie Brown, September 2013 (cropped).jpg Willie Brown Democratic Speaker California State Assembly December 2, 1980 June 5, 1995
No image.svg Lois DeBerry Democratic Speaker pro tempore Tennessee House of Representatives 1987 2010
Dan Blue.jpg Dan Blue Democratic Speaker North Carolina House of Representatives January 1, 1991 January 1, 1995
No image.svg Sherman Copelin Democratic Speaker pro tempore Louisiana House of Representatives January 13, 1992 January 15, 1996
No image.svg Donald Kofi Tucker Democratic Speaker pro tempore New Jersey General Assembly January 8, 2002 October 17, 2005
Adrienne Jones.jpg Adrienne A. Jones Democratic Speaker pro tempore Maryland House of Delegates January 8, 2003 May 1, 2019
Speaker May 1, 2019 Incumbent
John Lovick.jpg John Lovick Democratic Speaker pro tempore Washington House of Representatives January 13, 2003 January 5, 2008 Served as acting speaker from 2019–2020
January 8, 2018 January 11, 2021
Sharon Weston Broome.jpg Sharon Weston Broome Democratic Speaker pro tempore Louisiana House of Representatives January 12, 2004 January 12, 2005
No image.svg Yvonne Dorsey-Colomb Democratic Speaker pro tempore Louisiana House of Representatives January 12, 2005 January 14, 2008
No image.svg Jerry Green Democratic Speaker pro tempore New Jersey General Assembly January 8, 2008 April 18, 2018
No image.svg Karen Carter Peterson Democratic Speaker pro tempore Louisiana House of Representatives January 14, 2008 March 8, 2010
Karen-Bass-2012 (cropped).jpg Karen Bass Democratic Speaker California State Assembly May 13, 2008 March 1, 2010 First African-American woman to serve as Speaker of any state legislature
No image.svg Terrance Carroll Democratic Speaker Colorado House of Representatives January 7, 2009 January 12, 2011
Sheila Y. Oliver.jpg Sheila Oliver Democratic Speaker New Jersey General Assembly January 12, 2010 January 14, 2014
GordonFox.jpg Gordon Fox Democratic Speaker Rhode Island House of Representatives February 11, 2010 March 22, 2014
No image.svg Darrin Williams Democratic Speaker pro tempore Arkansas House of Representatives 2012 2012
Speaker Shannon.jpg T. W. Shannon Republican Speaker Oklahoma House of Representatives January 8, 2013 February 10, 2014
Jeffrion Aubry 2012.jpg Jeffrion L. Aubry Democratic Speaker pro tempore New York State Assembly January 9, 2013 Incumbent
CarlHeastie2017 (cropped).jpg Carl Heastie Democratic Speaker New York State Assembly February 3, 2015 Incumbent
Jason M. Frierson, U.S. Attorney.jpg Jason Frierson Democratic Speaker Nevada Assembly February 6, 2017 April 28, 2022
Gordon M. Johnson.jpg Gordon M. Johnson Democratic Speaker pro tempore New Jersey General Assembly May 24, 2018 January 11, 2022
Rep. Janet Buckner.jpg Janet Buckner Democratic Speaker pro tempore Colorado House of Representatives January 4, 2019 January 13, 2021
Sheree-Sample Hughes (52707282259) (cropped).jpg Sheree Sample-Hughes Democratic Speaker pro tempore Maryland House of Delegates September 9, 2019 January 10, 2024
Emanuel Chris Welch 2023.jpg Chris Welch Democratic Speaker Illinois House of Representatives January 13, 2021 Incumbent
No image.svg Jehan Gordon-Booth Democratic Speaker pro tempore Illinois House of Representatives January 21, 2021 Incumbent
No image.svg Benjie E. Wimberly Democratic Speaker pro tempore New Jersey General Assembly January 11, 2022 Incumbent
TalbotRossheadshot.jpg Rachel Talbot Ross Democratic Speaker Maine House of Representatives December 7, 2022 Incumbent
Joanna McClinton - Gov. Wolf Joins Educators in Celebrating Historic Education Funding for Public Schools (52311414245) (cropped).jpg Joanna McClinton Democratic Speaker Pennsylvania House of Representatives February 28, 2023 Incumbent
Virginia Delegate Don Scott (cropped).jpg Don Scott Democratic Speaker Virginia House of Delegates January 10, 2024 Incumbent
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