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This button indicated the wearer’s support of Oscar De Priest, the first African American elected to Congress in the 20th century. His successful election campaign to represent a district in Chicago initiated the trend of Black representation in northern cities, where the Great Migration sharply increased African-American populations. De Priest became a national symbol of hope for African Americans, and he helped lay the groundwork for future Black Members of the House and Senate.
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, “Oscar De Priest Lapel Pin,” https://history.house.gov/Collection/Listing/2008/2008-047-001/ (July 01, 2022)
Office of the Historian
Office of Art and Archives
Attic, Thomas Jefferson Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
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