Charles c diggs biography
•
Orr: Remembering the lost social justice legacy of Charles C. Diggs, Jr.
The civil rights movement transformed the United States. While there were many reasons for its success, nothing was more important than the rise of strong African American leaders who displayed great courage in confronting injustice and righting past wrongs. They publicized racial inequities and built coalitions that won great change for Black America. Many of the era’s Black leaders are household names, some are national heroes while others have been forgotten.
As we take a moment to reflect on Black History Month, now is an appropriate time to remember Congressman Charles C. Diggs, Jr. of Michigan, perhaps the most consequential Black legislator to ever serve in the U.S. Congress but a legislative lion who has fallen out of sight.
Born in Detroit in 1922, the scion of a prosperous mortician and politician, Diggs was elected to the House of Representatives in 1954. When he was sworn into office in Januar
•
Diggs, Charles C., Jr.
December 2, 1922 to August 24, 1998
The first African American to be elected to Congress from Michigan, Charles C. Diggs made significant contributions to the struggle for civil rights through his business and political ties. In an April 1956 telegram to Martin Luther King, Diggs commended the Montgomery Improvement Association president for his “cherished leadership in the fight for equality,” that he described as an “indestructible monument which will defy the ravages of time” (Papers 3:218).
Diggs was born on 2 December 1922, in Detroit. He attended the University of Michigan (1940 to 1942) and Fisk University (1942 to 1943) before joining the Army Air Corps in 1943. After his honorable discharge in 1945, he graduated from Wayne State University School of Mortuary Science (1945 to 1946) and began working with his family’s business, the House of Diggs funeral home.
In his first year at the Detroit College of Law (1951 to 1952),
•
Charles Diggs
American politician (1922–1998)
For his father, the Michigan politician, see Charles Diggs Sr.
Charles Diggs | |
|---|---|
| In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1979 | |
| Preceded by | John L. McMillan |
| Succeeded by | Ron Dellums |
| In office January 3, 1955 – June 3, 1980 | |
| Preceded by | George D. O'Brien |
| Succeeded by | George Crockett Jr. |
| In office 1951–1954 | |
| Preceded by | Henry Kozak |
| Succeeded by | Cora Brown |
| Born | Charles Coles Diggs Jr. (1922-12-02)December 2, 1922 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | August 24, 1998(1998-08-24) (aged 75) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Education | University of Michigan Fisk University Wayne State University (BS) Michigan State University |
| 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[1]) was an American politician