With the appointments of Delegates Terry Walker and Meshea Poore to the Legislature late last year, WVHouse of Delegates now has a total of five African- American members – the most in state history.
ince 1896 – when Fayette County teacher and journalist Christopher Payne became the first African-American elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates – a total of 23 black men and women have served in the two houses of the state Legislature.
The state made history in 1928 when Minnie Buckingham Harper was appointed to the House of Delegates and became the first African-American woman to serve as a member of any legislative body in the country. Harper filled the seat left vacant by the death of her husband, E. Howard Harper.
Despite the efforts of some trailblazers, the state legislature did not include any African-American lawmakers as recently as 2004, and there are currently no black state senators.
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