{"id":79207,"date":"2015-01-04T10:30:41","date_gmt":"2015-01-04T10:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=79207"},"modified":"2015-01-04T10:14:03","modified_gmt":"2015-01-04T10:14:03","slug":"first-elected-us-black-senator-dies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2015\/01\/first-elected-us-black-senator-dies\/","title":{"rendered":"First elected US black senator dies"},"content":{"rendered":"
Edward Brooke, the first black senator to be popularly elected in the US, has died aged 95, Republican Party officials say.<\/p>\n
Mr Brooke was elected to Congress in 1966 by voters in Massachusetts at a time of widespread racial unrest.<\/p>\n
A former lawyer, he had also been the first African-American to hold the post of attorney general in any state when he was elected senator.<\/p>\n
Two black senators before him were both picked by state legislatures.<\/p>\n
President Barack Obama said in a statement: “Senator Brooke led an extraordinary life of public service.<\/p>\n
“Ed Brooke stood at the forefront of the battle for civil rights and economic fairness.”<\/p>\n
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said: “I have lost a friend and mentor.”<\/p>\n
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said: “Senator Brooke’s accomplishments remind us that anything is possible in our country.”<\/p>\n
Breast cancer awareness<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Mr Brooke served in the Senate until 1979 and is one of only nine African-Americans to do so, including President Obama.<\/p>\n