Journey back Inside The Blanket Fort as we continue exploring some of the books that SIU Press is promoting for Black History Month.
As the first African American elected to the Illinois general assembly, John W. E. Thomas was the recognized leader of the state’s African American community for nearly twenty years and laid the groundwork for the success of future Black leaders in Chicago politics. Despite his pivotal role in Illinois history, Thomas’s life and career have been long forgotten by historians and the public alike. From Slave to State Legislator: John W. E. Thomas, Illinois' First African American Lawmaker, by David A. Joens, is the first full-length biography to address the full influence of Thomas or any Black politician from Illinois during the Reconstruction Era. This book is also a pioneering effort to explain the dynamics of African American politics and divisions within the Black community in post–Civil War Chicago.
