WASHINGTON, D.C. — A record 67 Black lawmakers are serving in the 119^th Congress—a four-fold increase since 1975.

The number represents a historic milestone since the first Black member of Congress, Sen. Hiram Revels of Mississippi, was elected in 1869. Black representation in Congress rose during Reconstruction, fell during the Jim Crow era, then grew through the 20^th century due in part to the civil rights movement and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

The 67 total Black members of Congress in 2025 include 62 Democrats and five Republicans.

The five Republicans serving on Capitol Hill—four in the House and one in the Senate—match the number in the last session of Congress and also represent the most since Reconstruction.

All 62 Black Democrats are part of the Congressional Black Caucus, though the caucus is not officially tied to a political party. The caucus claims it has "a long history of bipartisan collaboration and members who are both Democrat and Republican," though it has blocked Black Republicans from joining in the past.

Under the leadership of Chair Yvette Clark, D-N.Y., the caucus celebrated their historic membership numbers with a swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 3 that included prominent Black political figures such as Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

“It made me feel good as a past Chair,” said Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, who chaired the caucus from 2021 to 2023. “It made me feel good that little girls are watching and able to see people like myself and Yvette out front leading this country.”

Beatty said the caucus will use their historic numbers to push policy helping Black and marginalized groups, though she acknowledged that their policy stances on issues like health care access and voter enfranchisement may clash with those of President-elect Donald Trump, as well as the Republican majorities in both the House and Senate.

“It’s going to be difficult because Kamala Harris understood the American people. She understood needs,” Beatty said. “When you look at President-elect Donald Trump, he works with the billionaires, and he doesn’t understand the little people or the needs of America.”

Still, Beatty said Black Democrats are willing to work across the aisle.

“We are the conscience of the Congress,” she said. “We have written more legislation, and we crossed more states. And we’re not all from minority districts, so we know how to collaborate. We know how to reach across the line. And more importantly, we know how to win.”

One caucus member, Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-Ohio, celebrated that she won the trust of voters in her district in parts of Cleveland and its suburbs, where 77% of the population is White.

“As someone who is the first Black person to represent my district and representing a community that doesn't necessarily look like me, it does give me hope that people are deciding to elect their representatives based on the content of their character, their work product, how they think they're going to deliver for their communities,” Sykes said.

Sykes added that caucus would also work on issues where Democrats and Republicans can agree.

“I'm very clear, no matter who is the president, it's going to be hard work,” she said. “There is certainly a role for us to continue to ensure that we are lowering costs for people, that we're keeping communities safe, that we are thoughtful and concerned about human and civil rights.”