When Hiram Revels went to jail in 1854 for preaching and educating other Black people in Missouri, who could have predicted that he would become the first Black senator in Mississippi?
White Democrats attempted to block him, saying he hadn’t been a citizen long enough. After all, Black legal citizenship wasn’t recognized until 1866. And when Revels did become senator, his impact was conflicting.
Revels passionately advocated for reinstating other Black legislators. But he also pardoned former Confederate enslavers. He was trying to be a moderate, but at what cost?
In 1876, he was asked about the anti-Black violence and voter fraud committed by whites around the 1875 election. To the chagrin of Black Mississippians, he offered nothing. By 1890, the Black vote was fully under legal attack.
Today in Mississippi, new political efforts reminiscent of the 1890 Constitution have dangerous implications, much like the corruption of Revels’ time.
And as book bans, censorship, and the criminalization of writers and librarians continue, Revels’ imprisonment for educating Black people isn’t a far cry from our current reality.
Revel’s perseverance in educating Black Americans may be inspirational, but emulating him doesn’t necessarily mean placing all our eggs in the basket of political power. After all, any power “given” by white supremacy can easily be taken away.