John Willis Menard (April 3, 1838 – October 8, 1893) was a federal government employee, poet, newspaper publisher and politician born in Kaskaskia, Illinois to parents who were Louisiana Creoles from New Orleans.

After moving to New Orleans, on November 3, 1868, Menard was the first black man ever elected to the United States House of Representatives.^[1] His opponent contested his election, and opposition to his election prevented him from being seated in Congress.

First Black elected to Congress John W. Menard, defeated a white candidate, 5,107 to 2,833, in an election in Louisiana’s Second Congressional District to fill an unexpired term in the Fortieth Congress. U.S. Grant elected president with Black voters in the South providing the decisive margin. Grant received a minority of the white votes in defeating Democrat Horatio Seymour, 3,015,071 votes to 2,709,613.

Sources: blackfacts.com , wiki