The first Black elected official in Livingston County was an escaped slave: The story of Charley Straws

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The first Black elected official in Livingston County was an escaped slave: The story of Charley Straws

Just in time for Black History Month, here’s an extremely fascinating historical fact that has just been discovered: The first African-American elected to political office in Livingston County was an escaped slave from Kentucky who moved to Fowlerville and became the town’s beloved barber in the late 1800s. His name was Charley Straws, and in 1888, he was elected as a Republican to the Fowlerville Common Council. How cool is that? To my knowledg…