Cleveland Colbert

Colbert was born on October 6, 1906, in Old Spring Hill, Alabama, to parents Minnie Cook and George Moland Colbert.[5] He and his family lived at 813 West Galena Street in Milwaukee's Bronzeville neighborhood.[1] He had worked in many roles including as a musician, an upholsterer, a crane operator, and an aviator.[1] For a few months the 1930s Colbert served against his will as an aviator in the Spanish Civil War, where he was supposed to be in contract for commercial flying.[1]

In 1940, after he had returned to the United States, Colbert was the president of the Afro American National Economical Society (AANES).[1] The AANES supported the African American community through encouraging industrial businesses, as well as serving the civic, charitable, and social welfare needs.[1]

Colbert was active in local politics, he won the election primaries against three competitors.[6] In October 1942, Colbert was initially certified as the election winner of the 5th district seat in Wisconsin, before the results were overturned.[7][8][9] After a recount, Phillip Markey was declared the winner, winning only by a few votes (as little as 10 votes);[2] and Colbert was given $200 USD for his expenses during the period of recount.[10][11][12] Colbert was a Republican.[2][13] Lucian H. Palmer was the first African American to serve as a member of the Wisconsin state legislature; and Colbert would have been the second, if the election recount had not unseated him.[2][6] LeRoy Simmons subsequently became the second African American to serve in the Wisconsin House of Representatives.

He authored the book, The Afro-Americans’ Problems and Solution (1951; Dell and Dell Publishers).[1] The book can be found in the Special Collections Department at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.[5]

• List of African-American officeholders (1900–1959)