Good morning, Whitewater
Two happy, yet hard-won, events from our past, from the Wisconsin Historical Society, first took place on this day, in the ninteenth century —
1866 – African-Americans Vote in Wisconsin
On this date African-Americans voted for the first time in Wisconsin, after Ezekiel Gillespie successfully sued for the right to vote, an important point in the mid-19th century struggle of Milwaukee black citizens for suffrage. [Source: History of Wisconsin, Vol. II, pg. 571]1887 – First African American Church Built in Wisconsin
On this date the St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church was dedicated in Milwaukee. [Source: History Just Ahead: Guide to Wisconsin’s Historical Markers, edited by Sarah Davis McBride]