William C. Hodge, ca. 1846 - ca. 1900
William C. Hodge
from composite photograph of
Tennessee House of Representatives,
44th General Assembly, 1885-1886,
TSLA Collection.
Following his legislative term, he served as a member of the Chattanooga city council for many years.
Born in North Carolina, Hodge held a number of jobs before he became a legislator: contractor, stone-cutter, house mover, night mail transfer agent at the railroad depot, alderman for the 4th Ward of Chattanooga, and city jailer.
During his legislative term he introduced bills to safeguard employment and voting rights for all Tennesseans, and to overturn Chapter 130 of the Acts of 1875, which permitted discrimination on public transportation and in hotels and places of public amusement. All were tabled or rejected.
Hodge was a legislative candidate in 1884, a year when Tennessee's Republicans had declared themselves opposed to black candidates. He vowed it was time for white voters to get "educated up" and allow blacks to hold responsible positions. Black leaders reminded Chattanooga Republican office holders that the African American voters were keeping them in office (Hamilton County black voters outnumbered whites 1,400 to 400) and gently suggested that a little reciprocity would go a long way . . . Hodge subsequently became the county's first black representative.