blacks generally identified with the gop until the 1930s. every african american who served in the u.s. house of representatives before 1935 and all of the african americans who served in the senate before 1979, were republicans. frederick douglass after the civil war and booker t. washington in the early 20th century were prominent republican spokesmen. in 1966, edward brooke of massachusetts became the first african american popularly elected to the united states senate.