On this historic night for all Americans, I hope that proper credit is given to the man who, in many ways, made it possible for a black man to be a major party's candidate for President. Below from CNN


From CNN Analyst Jeffrey Toobin

There's a person who probably won't get much attention on this historic night, but he should. Lyndon B. Johnson would be one hundred years old today.

No elected official did more to make sure that African-Americans had a real right to vote; he pushed the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act through Congress — and he recognized that his dedication to civil rights would cost the Democratic Party greatly, especially in the South.

But it was LBJ who was the legislative architect of civil rights — and made the nomination of Barack Obama possible.

By going against his own personal feelings and moving forward with sweeping civil rights legislation, Johnson lost the South for the Democrats. But it was the right thing to do. I hope all of us who realize that America just matured a great deal tonight also realize how much is owed to LBJ.

Nice and fitting recognition, DG, for someone whose credits are often overlooked.

From a historical perspective:

African Americans in the United States Congress

During reconstruction all of the African American senators and representatives were from the South (which is expected, since few African Americans lived elsewhere). This region is still well-represented; 17 of the 42 members of the Black Congressional Caucus (40%) are from southern states (yes, I included Texas).

Let's not forget him.