Final answer:
Half a century ago, there were very few, if any, non-white US senators. Minority representation in Congress was extremely limited until much later in the 20th century, with significant increases in diversity occurring more recently.
Step-by-step explanation:
A half century ago, the number of non-white senators in the United States Congress was significantly lower than it is today. At that time, racial and ethnic minorities had less representation in political positions, reflecting the lack of descriptive representation in Congress. Major strides in diversity within the legislative body would not be seen until more recent decades.
In the mid-20th century, Congress was predominantly composed of white males, with minority groups, including African Americans, Hispanics, and other ethnicities, being notably underrepresented. This underrepresentation was in part due to the systematic disenfranchisement of African Americans and the exclusion of certain ethnic groups from immigrating to and naturalizing in the U.S.