Blanche Bruce

Biography

Blanche Bruce broke barriers by serving as a U.S. senator from Mississippi, one of the few African Americans to hold that office during Reconstruction, explaining the nation’s promise while fighting for equal rights for veterans and the newly freed.

He used his voice to advance education and civic participation, remaining a dignified presence even as the emerging Jim Crow era challenged the progress he championed, and his grave at Woodlawn Cemetery remains a place of gratitude.