Final answer:
In the Reconstruction era, over 2,000 African American men held various political offices, including U.S. Senator, but their involvement dwindled by the end of Reconstruction in 1877. A resurgence in the 20th century, following the Civil Rights Movement and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, led to an increase in African American political representation.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Reconstruction era after the Civil War, more than 2,000 African American men held political offices including positions such as local Levee Commissioner to United States Senator. However, by the end of Reconstruction in 1877, most of these office holders lost their positions. Notable figures during this time include Hiram Revels and Blanche K. Bruce, both serving as U.S. Senators from Mississippi, with Revels being the first African American U.S. Senator. After Reconstruction, Black political involvement declined due to intense segregationist policies, but saw a resurgence in the 20th century, with civil rights activists like Jesse Jackson and Andrew Young entering the political arena, and the election of African American officials like Oscar De Priest to Congress in 1929.
Despite facing significant threats and violence, approximately 600 African Americans served in state legislatures and 16 in the U.S. Congress during Reconstruction. Education often played a pivotal role for African Americans who attained higher offices. Yet, the violent backlash of the Jim Crow era and disenfranchisement tactics effectively diminished their political representation until the Civil Rights Movement and the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 galvanized a new era of African American political mobilization.