"Before his speech, his supporters danced and embraced. One of them declared, 'Thank the Lord, we did it.'... During the campaign, Mr. Colom... did not often dwell on the historic implications of his candidacy, but [he] took time on Wednesday to talk about the legacy he would now continue in Washington. Mississippi was the first state to send a Black person to Congress, Hiram Revels, who joined the Senate in 1870. He was followed by Blanche Bruce in 1875, who was born in slavery in 1841. Mr. Bruce was replaced by a white former Confederate soldier who disavowed the ideals of racial equality and ushered in segregationist policies...."
From "Scott Colom, a Democrat, Wins Mississippi Senate Seat in Historic Upset/Mr. Colom, a prosecutor, will be the first Black senator elected from Mississippi since the post-Civil War Reconstruction period" (NYT).
It should be noted that Colom graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School.
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