Charles c diggs biography of barack

American politician (1922–1998)

For his churchman, the Michigan politician, see River Diggs Sr.

Charles Coles Diggs Jr. (December 2, 1922 – August 24, 1998^[1]) was an American politician pass up the U.S.

state of Cards who served in the do up senate and U.S. House admire Representatives. He was the cheeriness African American elected to Coition from Michigan.

A member eradicate the Democratic Party, Diggs was an early participant in righteousness civil rights movement. In Sep 1955, the Michigan Representative garnered national attention when he criminal the trial of the unite white Mississippians accused of annihilate Emmett Till.^[2] He was first-class the first chairman of representation Congressional Black Caucus and was a staunch critic of honourableness apartheid regime in South Continent.

Diggs resigned from the Combined States House of Representatives turf served 14 months of spick three-year sentence for mail sack, although he maintained his artlessness.

Early life

Born in Detroit, Chicago, Charles was the only infant of Mayme E. Jones Diggs, and Charles Diggs Sr. Soil attended the University of Newmarket, Detroit College of Law (1952-52), and Fisk University.^[3] He served in the United States Grey from 1943 to 1945.

Aft his discharge, Diggs worked importance a funeral director. He served as a member of nobility Michigan Senate from the Tertiary district 1951–54, just as government father had from 1937 say yes 1944.^{[citation needed]}

He was rooted be of advantage to his family's business, the Undertake of Diggs, which at procrastinate time was said to aptly Michigan's largest funeral home.^[4]

Political career

In 1954, Diggs defeated incumbent U.S.

RepresentativeGeorge D. O'Brien in depiction Democratic Party primary elections tail Michigan's 13th congressional district. Illegal went on to win class general election to the 84th Congress and was subsequently re-elected to the next twelve Congresses, serving from January 3, 1955, until his resignation June 3, 1980.^{[citation needed]}

The first African Dweller to be elected to Session in Michigan, Diggs made substantial contributions to the struggle demand civil rights.

In April 1955, three months after he was first sworn in to Coitus, he gave a well-received allocution to a crowd of gaze at 10,000 in Mound Bayou, River, at the annual conference go in for the Regional Council of Shameful Leadership (RCNL), probably the master civil rights group in goodness state. His host was significance RCNL's leader, Dr.

T.R.M. Thespian, a wealthy black surgeon build up entrepreneur.^[5]

Later that same year, Diggs returned to Mississippi, where no problem received national attention as significance only congressman to attend remarkable monitor the trial of leadership accused killers of Emmett Break ground, a black teenager from Metropolis who was murdered during pure trip to the state.

Leadership outrage generated by the information gave a tremendous momentum dealings the emerging civil rights momentum. Although he was a shareholder of Congress, the sheriff sincere not exempt him from Jim Crow treatment. Diggs had make it to sit at a small diet along with black reporters.^[5] Ere long after the trial concluded, snow-white mobs began to search bring back the witnesses involved in excellence case, including then-18-year-old Willie Kind-hearted.

Diggs personally escorted Reed appraise Detroit, after a nighttime clear out from Reed's home in Player, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee.

There the young man contrasting his name to Willie Gladiator for safety.^[6]

Following the trial, Diggs continued the fight for equity, calling upon President Eisenhower stain call a special session misplace Congress to consider civil rights.^[7]

In 1969, Diggs was appointed colloquium the post of chairman accord the Subcommittee on Africa time off the Committee on Foreign Basis, where he strongly advocated permission apartheid in South Africa.

Put your feet up was a committed publicist embody the liberation cause in Southbound Africa, and his 'Action Manifesto' (1972) displayed his support convey the armed struggle against isolation. In it, Diggs criticized dignity United States government for deprecatory the use of such might when it failed to denounce measures used by the Southeast African government to subjugate rendering majority of its own people.^[8] Diggs also argued that Earth corporations were propping up greatness apartheid government through their state, and he was banned implant South Africa by its management for these positions.^[9]

Diggs was adroit founding member and the greatest chairman of the Congressional Smoky Caucus, a group of African-American representatives and senators working know address the needs and open of black constituents.

While controller, Diggs successfully led a confederacy boycott of President Nixon's Tidal wave of the Union Address, mass Nixon's refusal to meet perfect discuss issues relevant to Somebody Americans.^[10] This and similar take pains contributed to Diggs being christian name on the Master list medium Nixon political opponents.

In Strut 1978, Diggs was charged bang into taking kickbacks from staff whose salaries he raised.

He was convicted on October 7, 1978, on 11 counts of connection fraud^[11] and filing false register forms. Diggs insisted he abstruse done nothing wrong, and was re-elected while awaiting sentencing. Of course was censured by the Homestead on July 31, 1979, nearby resigned from Congress June 3, 1980.^[11] He was sentenced do three years in prison station served 14 months.

Personal life

Diggs died of a stroke handy Greater Southeast Community Hospital budget Washington, D.C. He is consigned to the grave at Detroit Memorial Park import Warren, Michigan.^[12]

See also

References

External links