Tim Scott Becomes Longest-Tenured Black Senator In History

Sen. Scott also holds the distinction of being the first elected Black senator from the South.

On Jan. 3, Sen. Tim Scott made history, becoming the longest-tenured Black United States senator, breaking the record previously held by another Black Republican Sen. Edward Brooke (R-Mass) who served from 1967-1979.

According to ABC News, Sen. Scott also holds the distinction of being the first elected Black senator from the South as well as the first official to serve in both the U.S. House and the Senate.

Joining Scott in the Senate are four Black senators, which makes this group the largest group to serve in the Senate simultaneously. In Scott’s first speech as a freshman senator, he said that his belief in the goodness of America is born of his experience.

“I believe in the greatness of America because I have experienced the goodness of our people in America. An ordinary guy like me can be blessed with an extraordinary opportunity like this,” Scott said.

Scott has often used his grandfather’s story of picking cotton to survive to paint a picture of his family’s rise from discrimination to opportunity, in 2020 at the Republican National Convention, Scott described it by saying “our family went from cotton to Congress in one lifetime.”

Scott has occasionally broken with his party like he did in 2016, following the deaths of Eric Garner, Walter Scott, and Philando Castile, delivering an impactful speech about the divide between Black communities and law enforcement, revealing his own experiences with racial profiling in the process.

“While I thank God I have not endured bodily harm, I have, however, felt the pressure applied by the scales of justice when they are slanted. I have felt the anger, the frustration, the sadness, and the humiliation that comes with feeling like you’re being targeted for nothing more than being just yourself,” Scott said at the time.

In recent years, however, Scott has been a staunch defender and surrogate for President-elect Donald Trump, positioning which has no doubt helped him secure a position as the chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee and Scott will also chair the National Republican Senatorial Committee; in the process becoming the first Black person to chair both positions.

Scott said in a statement marking the occasion that he looks forward to working with President-elect Trump on his agenda.

“My goal is simple: make America work for Americans. As we get to work cleaning up the mess from the previous administration, I look forward to working with President Trump on his priorities, including paving a path for all Americans to have the necessary tools and resources to achieve their version of the American Dream. We will unlock opportunity, strengthen our nation, and make America the shining city on the Hill again,” Scott remarked.