When Dayton, Ohio brought Oscar De Priest to speak, it invited not just an African-American congressman, but a national symbol of black enfranchisement. In 1929, De Priest was the first black Member of Congress in 28 years. He represented a Chicago district, marking the shift of African-American political power to the North. The speech at the Dunbar Junior High School was one of many he made after his entry into the national spotlight.
