Journey back Inside The Blanket Fort this week as we celebrate celebrate Black History, and continue our discussion with David A. Joens and his book From Slave to State Legislator: John W.E. Thomas, Illinois’s First African American Lawmaker from SIU Press.
As the first African American elected to the Illinois general assembly, John W. E. Thomas laid the groundwork for the success of future Black leaders in Illinois politics. Despite his key role in the passage of Illinois’ first civil rights act and his commitment to improving his community against steep personal and political barriers, Thomas’s life and career have been long forgotten by historians and the public alike. Despite the importance of this figure to Illinois political history and Chicago Black history, very little had been written about him before this book came out in 2012. This week, Joens talks about the state of the research on the subject at the time of the book’s original release and how this book has potentially impacted the field.