Charles Diggs

Charles Diggs
Chair of the House District of Columbia Committee
In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1979
Preceded by	John L. McMillan
Succeeded by	Ron Dellums
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 13th district
In office January 3, 1955 – June 3, 1980
Preceded by	George D. O'Brien
Succeeded by	George Crockett Jr.
Member of the Michigan Senate from the 3rd district
In office 1951–1954
Preceded by	Henry Kozak
Succeeded by	Cora Brown
Personal details
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	Anna Katherine Johnston ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1971)​
Education	University of Michigan Fisk University Wayne State University (BS) Michigan State University
Military service
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 from the U.S. state of Michigan who served in the state senate and U.S. House of Representatives. He was the first African American elected to Congress from Michigan.

A member of the Democratic Party, Diggs was an early participant in the civil rights movement. In September 1955, the Michigan Representative garnered national attention when he attended the trial of the two white Mississippians accused of murdering Emmett Till.^[2] He was elected the first chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus and was a staunch critic of the apartheid regime in South Africa.

Diggs resigned from the United States House of Representatives and served 14 months of a three-year sentence for mail fraud, although he maintained his innocence.