For much of its existence, the Democratic Party undeniably earned a racist reputation. The Solid South was its base in national elections, with whites-only electorates voting always for the Democrats ...

BOSTON (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. Edward W. Brooke, a liberal Republican who became the first black in U.S. history to win popular election to the Senate, died Saturday. He was 95. Brooke died of natural ...

Former Sen. Edward W. Brooke, the first black U.S. senator elected by popular vote, was remembered at his funeral as an inspiration to thousands of young Americans and a moral compass for fellow ...