EPISODE · Jan 17, 2026 · 38 MIN
Rep. Jim Clyburn tells the cautionary tale of ‘The First Eight’
from Firing Line with Margaret Hoover · host Firing Line With Margaret Hoover
Rep. James Clyburn joins Margaret Hoover to talk about “The First Eight,” his recent book about the eight Black South Carolinians who served in Congress before him and why their stories still matter.During reconstruction after the Civil War, South Carolina sent eight Black men to Congress. After the last of them left office in 1897, it would be 95 years before the ninth–Clyburn–was elected in 1992. Clyburn explains why there was such a long gap and why he believes the segregationist past presents a cautionary tale for America today.He criticizes President Trump and the MAGA movement, and he warns that the Supreme Court could disenfranchise Black voters if it further weakens the Voting Rights Act.Clyburn, who is 85 and in his 17th term in Congress, reflects on his legacy, offers a message for the next generation of Democrats, and expresses hope for the nation’s future.Support for Firing Line with Margaret Hoover is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, The Tepper Foundation, Peter and Mary Kalikow, Pritzker Military Foundation, Cliff and Laurel Asness, Katharine J. Rayner, Lindsay and George Billingsley, The Meadowlark Foundation, and Jared Stone.
What this episode covers
Rep. James Clyburn joins Margaret Hoover to talk about “The First Eight,” his recent book about the eight Black South Carolinians who served in Congress before him and why their stories still matter.During reconstruction after the Civil War, South Carolina sent eight Black men to Congress. After the last of them left office in 1897, it would be 95 years before the ninth–Clyburn–was elected in 1992. Clyburn explains why there was such a long gap and why he believes the segregationist past presents a cautionary tale for America today.He criticizes President Trump and the MAGA movement, and he warns that the Supreme Court could disenfranchise Black voters if it further weakens the Voting Rights Act.Clyburn, who is 85 and in his 17th term in Congress, reflects on his legacy, offers a message for the next generation of Democrats, and expresses hope for the nation’s future.Support for Firing Line with Margaret Hoover is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, The Tepper Foundation, Peter and Mary Kalikow, Pritzker Military Foundation, Cliff and Laurel Asness, Katharine J. Rayner, Lindsay and George Billingsley, The Meadowlark Foundation, and Jared Stone.
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Rep. Jim Clyburn tells the cautionary tale of ‘The First Eight’
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