November 1934
Events
- November 6, 1934Arthur Mitchell Becomes First Black Democrat Elected to Congress
Illinois Democrat Arthur Mitchell defeated incumbent Republican Oscar De Priest in Chicago's First Congressional District, marking a historic shift of Black voters from the Republican Party to the New Deal coalition and becoming the first Black Democrat ever elected to the US House of Representatives.
- November 6, 1934Oscar De Priest Loses Congressional Seat, Ending Era of Black Republican Representation
The defeat of Republican Congressman Oscar De Priest by Democrat Arthur Mitchell symbolized the mass migration of Black voters to the Democratic Party under FDR's New Deal, fundamentally reshaping American political alignments that persist to the present day.
- November 21, 1934Ella Fitzgerald Wins Apollo Theater Amateur Night
A seventeen-year-old Ella Fitzgerald, planning to dance, was too nervous and instead sang, winning the Apollo's weekly amateur competition. Bandleader Benny Carter witnessed her performance and helped launch her professional career, beginning her ascent to become one of the most celebrated jazz vocalists in history.