Who Was Hiram Rhodes Revels?
It's important for people to know about Hiram Rhodes Revels because he was never enslaved, and there are no known records of any of his family members having been enslaved. While the institution of bondage has been ever present, it has a lasting prevalence in the aspects of intellect and consciousness. He was the first United States senator from Mississippi, serving during the Reconstruction era after the Civil War. His success stemmed from his strong self-awareness and belief in his potential, values we instill at Hiram Rhodes Revels School For Excellence in Lambert, Mississippi.
Life and Work
Hiram Rhodes Revels was an American clergyman, educator, and politician, born on September 27, 1827, in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, N.C. He made history as the first African American to serve in the U.S. Senate, representing Mississippi from 1870 to 1871 as a member of the Republican Party. He passed away from a paralytic stroke in Aberdeen, Miss., on January 16, 1901. These aspects of his life align directly with the values and mission of Hiram Rhodes Revels School For Excellence: education, leadership, and service.
Impact on Education
After his Senate term, Revels accepted the appointment as the first president of Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Alcorn State University), a historically black college in Claiborne County, Mississippi, in 1871. He also taught philosophy there. Despite a brief leave of absence to serve as Mississippi's secretary of state ad interim in 1873, and a dismissal in 1874, he was reappointed in 1876 and served until his retirement in 1882. His dedication to education is a cornerstone of our approach at Hiram Rhodes Revels School For Excellence.
African Centered Education
For those unfamiliar with African Centered Education, we connect Hiram Rhodes Revels' legacy to this approach by emphasizing the importance of self-awareness in all endeavors. At Hiram Rhodes Revels School For Excellence, we believe you have to be empowered by self-awareness in all that you endeavor, just as Hiram Rhodes Revels was throughout his life and career.
Discover the Revels Excellence
Learn more about our unique African Centered Education approach and how we empower students at Hiram Rhodes Revels School For Excellence in Oxford, Mississippi.