Francis Lewis Cardozo

Biography

Francis Lewis Cardozo was born in 1836 and became a pioneering educator and politician, serving as South Carolina’s secretary of education, state treasurer, and the first African American to hold a statewide office there during Reconstruction. His lifelong dedication to education and civil rights helped lay the foundation for future generations seeking opportunity.

After his death in 1903 he was honored in Hyattsville and beyond as a courageous reformer and a dignified advocate whose lessons of equality continue to inspire.