James M. Alexander facts for kids

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.

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. ..... 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.

Family

Five of his seven children attended Oberlin College in Ohio. 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. 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.

See also

• List of African-American officeholders during Reconstruction