in 1898 white was re-elected in a three-way race. in a period of increasing disenfranchisement of blacks in the south, he was the last of five african americans who were elected and served in congress during the jim crow era of the later nineteenth century. there were two from south carolina, cheatham before him from north carolina, and one from virginia. after them, no african americans would be elected from the south until 1972, after federal civil rights legislation was passed in 1965 to enforce constitutional voting and civil rights for citizens. no african americans were elected to congress from north carolina until 1992.