Rep. James Clyburn Honors the Black Men Who Guided His Path to Congress in ‘The First Eight’

December 3, 2025

Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina has published "The First Eight," a book honoring eight Black congressmen from his state who served in the U.S. House of Representatives between 1870 and 1897, during and after Reconstruction. The work profiles these pioneering legislators who faced segregation, KKK threats, and Jim Crow laws while fighting to establish African American rights. Clyburn, who became South Carolina's ninth Black congressman in 1992, views the book as both a tribute to these trailblazers and a cautionary tale for modern times.

Who is affected

Representative James Clyburn (author and South Carolina's ninth Black congressman)
The eight Black South Carolina congressmen from 1870-1897: Joseph Hayne Rainey, Robert Carlos De Large, Robert Brown Elliott, Richard Harvey Cain, Alonzo Jacob Ransier, Robert Smalls, Thomas Ezekiel Miller, and George Washington Murray
Readers and historians seeking to understand overlooked African American congressional history
South Carolinians whose state history has been incompletely recorded
Audience members at book events, including D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Representatives Joyce Marie Beatty and Troy Anthony Carter, Sr., and former House Clerk Lorraine C. Miller

What action is being taken

Representative Clyburn is sharing the stories of these eight congressmen through his newly released book
Clyburn is engaging in promotional book events and conversations, including a discussion with political scientist Norm Ornstein at George Washington University
The book is being sold and distributed through venues like Politics and Prose Books

Why it matters

This history is significant because it recovers overlooked stories of Black political leadership during Reconstruction that were deliberately excluded from historical narratives for over a century. The book serves as a cautionary tale, drawing parallels between the violent suppression of Black political participation after Reconstruction (including events like the Hamburg Massacre) and contemporary threats to democratic progress. By documenting how these pioneering legislators navigated extreme racism and violence while establishing African American rights, Clyburn provides context for understanding current challenges and prevents the repetition of historical mistakes.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer