Hobson for Congress

Black text over a red, black, green and white background

Julius Hobson (1922-1977) was a civil rights activist and leader in the D.C. Statehood Party. Because Washington, D.C. is controlled by the U.S. Congress, its citizens do not have congressional representation. The party was formed in 1969 to address the inability of Washington residents to exercise their rights as American citizens by not having a voting delegate in Congress. Because the district was composed of primarily African American citizens, this lack of representation became a civil rights issue and led to the push for D.C. Statehood. In 1971 Hobson made the issue the central part of his campaign for election as a non-voting delegate to the U.S House of Representatives. Although he lost the 1971 election, Hobson was elected to the City Council in 1974 and continued to be a central figure in the fight for D.C. statehood.