James M. Alexander
James Milo Alexander (February 7, 1815 – May 27, 1871) was an African-American businessperson and politician in Phillips County, Arkansas. Alexander was a successful businessperson and the first African-American justice of the peace in Arkansas.[1]
James Milo Alexander | |
|---|---|
| Arkansas State Representative | |
| In office 1871–1871 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1815 North Carolina |
| Died | 1871 (aged 55–56) |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
Born into slavery in North Carolina, his enslaver taught him how to read and write. After they moved to Arkansas, which was then a frontier region, he allowed Alexander to establish his own business, a barbershop. Though his business prospered and grew to include the sale of dry goods, he remained in bondage until purchasing his own freedom and that of several family members in 1860. After the war, Alexander was active in Republican politics and served in a number of political offices in Helena, Arkansas including as postmaster, school trustee, grand jury member, and as a representative to the Arkansas House of Representatives.[1] He was also an active member of Prince Hall Freemasonry through the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Arkansas. The first African American masonic lodge in that state was named in his honor.
Family
Five of his seven children attended Oberlin College in Ohio.[1] His fourth child, John Hanks Alexander (1864 – 1894) was the first African-American officer in the United States armed forces to hold a regular command position and the second African-American graduate of the United States Military Academy.[2] Another son, Titus, was a political organizer in California in the 1920s who helped convince African-Americans to support the Democratic Party through the National Negro Democratic Congress.[3]
References
- Foner, Eric (1996). Freedom's Lawmakers: A Directory of Black Officeholders During Reconstruction. Louisiana State University Press. p. 4. ISBN 9780807120828.
- Ayodale, Braimah. "Alexander, John Hanks (1864-1894)." BlackPast.org.
- Taylor, Quintard (1999). In Search of the Racial Frontier: African Americans in the American West 1528-1990. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-24636-0.