Black History

George Edwin Taylor: Black Politician an Early Candidate for U.S. Presidency

Throughout America’s history, the majority of its political force has been white. But African Americans had often been involved in supporting roles such as advisors, legislators, commentators, and voters.

Published

3 years ago

August 14, 2021

Christy Price

George Edwin Taylor/ Wikipedia.

It was early politicians such as George Edwin Taylor (1857–1925) who helped pave the long road to Barack Obama’s historic White House run. Born in the pre-Civil War South, Taylor would become the first African American selected by a political party to be its candidate for the presidency of the United States.
Taylor was born in Little Rock, Ark. He lost his mother at a young age and subsequently had to fend for himself. In 1865, he arrived in Wisconsin, where he was taken in by a Black family who lived near the town of La Crosse. They were politically active and supported Taylor’s education. He attended Wayland University in Beaver Dam (1877–1879).
After college, Taylor took a job at the La Crosse Free Press and later at the La Crosse Evening Star. He also produced newspaper columns for local papers and wrote articles for the Chicago Inter Ocean. These experiences led him into politics.
Taylor was specifically drawn to issues surrounding labor. He helped with the campaign to re-elect La Crosse’s pro-labor mayor and became a leader and office holder in Wisconsin’s statewide Union Labor Party. By then he’d started his own paper, the Wisconsin Labor Advocate, which became one of the newspapers of the party.
By 1887, Taylor had become a member of the Wisconsin delegation to the first national convention of the Union Labor Party. He then made national political issues the focus of his newspaper. As he became well known, race became an issue. His paper ceased publication around 1887 or 1888.
Three years later he relocated to Iowa where his political interests increased. He was first drawn to the Republican Party, then to the Democrats. Taylor started the newspaper Negro Solicitor and became president of the National Colored Men’s Protective Association and the National Negro Democratic League. He aligned himself with the Populist faction that attempted to reform the Democratic Party.
In 1904, he joined the first national political party created exclusively for and by Blacks: the National Liberty Party. That year, during the party’s national convention, its executive committee asked Taylor to be the party’s candidate for U.S. president.
Little attention was given to Taylor’s campaign despite the party’s platform having a national agenda. The Sun (1904) reported that Taylor “knew whites thought his candidacy was a joke,” but he believed that an independent political party that could mobilize the African-American vote was the “only practical way Blacks could exercise political influence.”
The 1904 campaign was Taylor’s last attempt to run for political office.
Taylor remained in Iowa until 1910. He then relocated to Jacksonville, Fla., where he edited several newspapers and served as director of the African American branch of the local YMCA.
He died in Jacksonville in 1925 at the age of 68.

Christy Price

Posts by Christy Price

Up Next

There Is Cash in California’s Comeback Plan for Your Small Business

Don't Miss

Chaney Turner Elected New Chairman of Oakland Cannabis Regulatory Commission

Christy Price

Click to comment

Activism

LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST

Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST

Published

4 days ago

November 12, 2024

Oakland Post

Discussion Topics:
• Since the pandemic, what battles have the NAACP fought nationally, and how have they impacted us locally?
• What trends are you seeing concerning Racism? Is it more covert or overt?
• What are the top 5 issues resulting from racism in our communities?
• How do racial and other types of discrimination impact local communities?
• What are the most effective ways our community can combat racism and hate?

Your questions and comments will be shared LIVE with the moderators and viewers during the broadcast.

STREAMED LIVE!
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/PostNewsGroup
YOUTUBE: youtube.com/blackpressusatv
X: twitter.com/blackpressusa

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention Highlights Black Voter Engagement, and More

A Friday panel featuring NAACP Chairman Leon W. Russell and Regina Wilson, Executive Director of California Black Media, examined Project 2025, an initiative perceived as a potential threat to civil rights, healthcare access, and environmental protection. This session emphasized Project 2025’s projected impact on Black communities, noting that policies within the initiative could diminish gains in civil and environmental rights over decades. Russell and Wilson highlighted the need for vigilant monitoring and community mobilization to address these challenges.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

NAACP State Conference President Rick Callender (right) engages in a discussion on voter engagement and community advocacy with NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson during the 37th NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention in Los Angeles. Photo by Rich Woods.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The 37th NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention concluded on Sunday, Oct 27, following four days of discussions and workshops at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott. Bringing together civil rights leaders, policymakers, and advocates from California and Hawaii, the convention operated under the theme “All In.” The participants discussed critical issues impacting Black communities, including criminal justice reform, health equity, economic empowerment, education, environmental justice, and voting rights.

On Saturday, the President’s Fireside Chat brought together NAACP President Derrick Johnson and CA/HI State Conference President Rick Callender, who discussed the urgency of voter engagement and community advocacy.

Guest speakers included Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), who spoke at the Women in NAACP (WIN) Labor Luncheon about the intersection of labor rights and civil rights. California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond delivered remarks at the Leadership Dinner on education equity, focusing on policies to ensure all students have access to high-quality education.

Honors were given to longtime social justice advocate and former Assemblymember Mike Davis for his work in community activism. At the same time, actor and activist Danny Glover and the Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown received the 2024 Legacy Hall of Fame Awards, recognizing their lifelong commitments to advancing civil rights.

The convention also offered practical workshops, including “What’s On Your Ballot?,” where coalition leaders provided analyses of California propositions, explaining their potential impacts on community rights and resources. The Voter Turnout Workshop provided background and encouraged participants to promote voter turnout through community-centered outreach strategies.

Sunday’s events closed with a Prayer and Memorial Breakfast honoring the contributions of past and current civil rights leaders.