December 28, 1918 – Congressman George Henry White
![By U.S. Congress [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons George Henry White](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/George_Henry_White.jpg/256px-George_Henry_White.jpg)
Congressman George Henry White
“This, Mr. Chairman, is perhaps the negroes’ temporary farewell to the American Congress, but let me say, Phoenix–like he will rise up someday and come again.“1
White left congress in March of 1901 and was correct in that it was a temporary farewell, although a very long one. It was 28 years before another African American ( Oscar Stanton De Priest, Republican from Illinois) would be elected and another African American congressperson from North Carolina would not be elected until Democrat Eva Clayton in 1992. White was a graduate of Howard University. After congress he opened a law practice in Washington, DC., organized a town for African Americans (Whitesboro in Cape May, New Jersey), moved to Philadelphia and started another law practice and People’s Savings Bank.