"In His Own Words: The Writings, Speeches, and Letters of George Henry White, 1881-1918" offers a comprehensive view of the career of an African American political pioneer. The first African American to serve in the U.S. Congress in the twentieth century, George Henry White was also a renowned American orator and public servant for nearly four decades.

Editor Benjamin Justesen, author of "George Henry White: An Even Chance in the Race of Life-the first full-length biography of White" (2001)- compiled this exhaustive supplementary collection. Known best for his 1901 "farewell speech" to...