Charles Diggs
Charles Diggs | |
---|---|
House District of Columbia Committee | |
In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1979 | |
Preceded by | John L. McMillan |
Succeeded by | Ron Dellums |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 13th district | |
In office January 3, 1955 – June 3, 1980 | |
Preceded by | George D. O'Brien |
Succeeded by | George Crockett Jr. |
Member of the Michigan Senate from the 3rd district | |
In office 1951–1954 | |
Preceded by | Henry Kozak |
Succeeded by | Cora Brown |
Personal details | |
Born | Charles Coles Diggs Jr. December 2, 1922 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
Died | August 24, 1998 Washington, D.C., U.S. | (aged 75)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | |
Education | University of Michigan Fisk University Wayne State University (BS) Michigan State University |
Military service | |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Years of service | 1943–1945 |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Charles Coles Diggs Jr. (December 2, 1922 – August 24, 1998
A member of the Democratic Party, Diggs was an early participant in the civil rights movement. In September 1955, the Michigan Representative garnered national attention when he attended the trial of the two white Mississippians accused of murdering Emmett Till.[2] He was elected the first chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus and was a staunch critic of the apartheid regime in South Africa.
Diggs resigned from the
Early life
Born in
He was rooted in his family's business, the House of Diggs, which at one time was said to be Michigan's largest funeral home.[4]
Political career
In 1954, Diggs defeated incumbent
The first African American to be elected to Congress in Michigan, Diggs made significant contributions to the struggle for
Later that same year, Diggs returned to Mississippi, where he received national attention as the only congressman to attend and monitor the trial of the accused killers of
Following the trial, Diggs continued the fight for justice, calling upon President Eisenhower to call a special session of Congress to consider civil rights.[7]
In 1969, Diggs was appointed to the post of chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, where he strongly advocated ending apartheid in South Africa. He was a committed publicist for the liberation cause in South Africa, and his 'Action Manifesto' (1972) displayed his support for the armed struggle against apartheid. In it, Diggs criticized the United States government for decrying the use of such violence when it failed to condemn measures used by the South African government to subjugate the majority of its own people.[8] Diggs also argued that American corporations were propping up the apartheid government through their investments, and he was banned from South Africa by its government for these positions.[9]
Diggs was a founding member and the first chairman of the
In March 1978, Diggs was charged with taking kickbacks from staff whose salaries he raised. He was convicted on October 7, 1978, on 11 counts of mail fraud[11] and filing false payroll forms. Diggs insisted he had done nothing wrong, and was re-elected while awaiting sentencing. He was censured by the House on July 31, 1979, and resigned from Congress June 3, 1980.[11] He was sentenced to three years in prison and served 14 months.
Personal life
Diggs died of a stroke at Greater Southeast Community Hospital in Washington, D.C. He is interred at Detroit Memorial Park in Warren, Michigan.[12]
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- List of American federal politicians convicted of crimes
- List of United States representatives expelled, censured, or reprimanded
References
- ISBN 9781573561266
- ^ Eyes on the Prize; Interview with Charles Diggs, retrieved 2021-01-25
- ^ "Diggs, Charles C., Jr. (1922-1998)". Martin Luther King Jr. And the Global Struggle for Freedom. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ^ Pearson, Richard, Staff Writer (August 26, 1998). "Charles Diggs Dies at 75". The Washington Post. p. B06. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ ISBN 0-252-03420-1.
- ^ Thompson, Wright (2021-07-22). "His Name Was Emmett Till". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
- ^ Congressional Record, V. 144, PT. 14, September 9, 1998 to September 21, 1998
- ^ James Sanders, South Africa and the International Media (London, 2000).
- OCLC 959031269.
- ^ Clemons, M.L. (2010). African Americans in Global Affairs: Contemporary Perspectives. University Press of New England.
- ^ a b Rudin, Ken (2007-06-06). "The Equal-Opportunity Culture of Corruption". NPR.org. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
- ^ Warikoo, Niraj. "Advocate of civil rights in Congress". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on February 3, 1999.