Scott Colom to Become First Black Mississippi Senator in 150 Years

Scott Colom will become the third Black senator in Mississippi history following his election victory on Wednesday, marking the first time a Black person has held that seat in nearly 150 years.

The win ends a long era of segregationist leadership in the state’s Senate delegation. According to reporting from the New York Times, Colom’s arrival in the chamber follows a century and a half of absence for Black representatives in that specific body.

Scott Colom becomes Mississippi's first Black senator since Reconstruction — USA TODAY

While Mississippi has seen Black representation in the U.S. House of Representatives—including Mike Espy, who later served as agriculture secretary during the Clinton administration, and Representative Bennie Thompson—the Senate seat has remained elusive. The vacancy of Black leadership in the Senate was filled for decades by figures such as James K. Vardaman and James O. Eastland.

The historical precedent for this moment reaches back to February 25, 1870. On that day, Hiram Revels walked into the chamber of the U.S. Senate to take his oath of office, becoming the first Black man ever seated in the Senate.

'We did it': Scott Colom becomes first black Senator from Mississippi since 1874 — The Hill

Revels, a North Carolina native and former Union Army chaplain, was chosen by the Mississippi Legislature to serve as the state’s first new senator following the Civil War. His appointment occurred just one month after the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment, which granted Black men the right to vote.

During his tenure, Revels used his platform to challenge legislation intended to bar Black citizens from holding public office. He argued that Black residents “ask but the rights which are theirs by God’s universal law.”

Shortly after Revels, Blanche K. Bruce joined the Senate. Born into slavery in Virginia, Bruce fled to freedom at the onset of the Civil War and eventually became the first Black man to serve a full term in the Senate, holding office from 1875 to 1881.

Bruce’s term coincided with the violent final days of Reconstruction in Mississippi. As the state transitioned into the Jim Crow era, characterized by the systemic stripping of rights from Black Mississippians, Bruce remained vocal about the dangers facing his community.

Scott Colom becomes the first Black Mississippi senator since Reconstruction — NowThis Impact

“In the endurance, capacity and destiny of my people,” Bruce said, expressing his confidence despite the rising tide of violence against Black voters.

The transition from the era of Revels and Bruce to the current election of Colom changes the state's political structure. For much of the 20th century, the Senate seats were held by staunch segregationists, creating a long gap between the Reconstruction-era pioneers and the modern era.

Colom is scheduled to take office in January.