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Oscar Stanton De Priest
Oscar Stanton De Priest was an American Republican politician and civil rights advocate. He served as a U.S. Representative from the state of Illinois. During his three terms, he was the only African American serving in Congress. De Priest proposed a law barring discrimination in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC was program of the New Deal to employ people across the country in building infrastructure. His proposal was made a law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1929, De Priest made national news. First Lady Lou Hoover invited his wife, Jessie, to a traditional tea for congressional wives at the White House.[1][2] In reaction several newspapers published a racist poem called Niggers in the White House. The poem was first published when Booker T. Washington dined with President Theodore Roosevelt. References
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