James T. Rapier

Biography

James T. Rapier (1837–1883) was born free in Alabama, educated in Canada and at Oberlin College, and returned to the South determined to uplift the newly freed population. He became a teacher and leader in the Freedmen’s Bureau before winning election as a Republican to represent Alabama’s second district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1873 to 1875, where he tirelessly defended civil rights and equal opportunity.

After serving in Congress, he continued in public service, including a period as U.S. minister to Liberia, and remained a persuasive voice for justice until his death; he was laid to rest at Calvary Cemetery.