May 1, 2025 Story by: Editor
Charles Diggs Jr. was more than a political trailblazer—he was a national voice for justice, a founding figure in Black political power, and one of the most consequential congressmen of the civil rights era. As the first Black U.S. Representative from Michigan, Diggs used his platform to fight racial injustice both at home and abroad, leaving a legacy that continues to shape the landscape of American politics.
Charles Coles Diggs Jr. was born on December 2, 1922, in Detroit, Michigan, into a politically engaged family. His father, Charles Diggs Sr., made history as the first African American elected to the Michigan State Senate. Growing up surrounded by activism, Diggs Jr. developed an early awareness of racial inequality and a deep commitment to public service.
As a high school student, Diggs was a star debater. In 1943 he was drafted into the Army Air Corps and stationed at Tuskegee Airfield. The war ended without Diggs ever seeing combat.
Photo courtesy of: CAF RISE ABOVE Squadron (formerly known as the CAF Red Tail Squadron)
He attended the University of Michigan, Fisk University—a historically Black university in Tennessee—and later graduated from Wayne State University’s School of Mortuary Science. Like his father, he initially joined the family funeral business, but his ambitions soon turned toward politics.
In 1954, at the age of 31, Diggs was elected to represent Michigan’s 13th congressional district, becoming the first Black member of Congress from Michigan. He took office during the early days of the civil rights movement, arriving in Washington at a time when Black lawmakers were few and resistance to racial equality was high.
During his time in Congress, Diggs was a powerful advocate for civil rights and international human rights. He was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971 and served as its first chair. Under his leadership, the CBC worked to advance legislation focused on voting rights, economic equity, and education for Black Americans.
Diggs’s commitment to civil rights was unwavering. In 1955, he gained national attention by attending the trial of the white men accused of murdering Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black teenager whose brutal death galvanized the civil rights movement. Diggs was the only congressman to attend the trial in Mississippi and used his platform to draw national attention to the injustice.
In Congress, he worked to pass landmark civil rights legislation and spoke out against police brutality, segregation, and racial discrimination in housing and employment. He was a vocal supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was present at key civil rights events, including the 1963 March on Washington.
Representative of Michigan’s 13th Congressional District from January 3, 1955, to June 3, 1980; 84th-96th Congresses (Photo courtesy of: African American Voices in Congress)
Diggs also became a leading voice in U.S. foreign policy on Africa. As chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, he used his position to fight against colonialism and apartheid. He was an early and outspoken critic of South Africa’s white minority regime and advocated for stronger U.S. sanctions.
His advocacy helped inspire a new generation of Black lawmakers to see international human rights as part of the same struggle as domestic civil rights.
In the late 1970s, Diggs’s career was marred by legal troubles. In 1978, he was convicted on charges of mail fraud and falsifying payroll information related to staff salaries. Though he retained strong support in his district, he resigned from Congress in 1980 after serving 13 terms.
Despite this chapter, Diggs remains widely respected for his pioneering work in civil rights and foreign policy. He passed away in 1998 at the age of 75.
Charles Diggs Jr. helped define what it meant to be a modern Black legislator in America. From the halls of Congress to the courtrooms of Mississippi and the embassies of Africa, he fought for justice with clarity, courage, and conviction. As a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and a bridge between local and global Black freedom struggles, Diggs’s legacy continues to influence policymakers, activists, and the Detroit community he so faithfully represented.
“He stood up when it mattered most,” said former Congressman John Conyers, a fellow Detroiter and civil rights stalwart. “Charles didn’t just make history—he made a difference.”
