Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. (Photo: Getty Images) From the first Black president to the first African-American woman ever elected to the United States Congress, Black people have made considerable gains – and helped to change the face of U.S. politics as we know it. Historically, Black political power has not come easily in the United States. The institution of slavery and systems of racial inequality – from Black Codes to Jim Crow – restricted the civil and political rights of African Americans for centuries. But through activism and great sacrifice, Black Americans have built political power over time. That power is not more exemplified than in Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital. From the first Black president to the first African American woman ever elected to the United States Congress, Black people have made considerable gains – and helped to change the face of U.S. politics as we know it. Here is theGrio’s list of the most influential Black politicians in American history. TOPSHOT – Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th US president by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in front of the Capitol in Washington on January 20, 200
