Adelbert H. Roberts (186?—1937) was a trail blazer in Illinois politics. Born in Michigan, Roberts worked as a teacher before pursuing a career in law. He studied literature at the University of Michigan and then earned his law degree from Northwestern in 1893.  

After receiving his education, Roberts worked as an attorney and served as a clerk in Chicago’s municipal court prior to entering the political sphere. After holding office as a representative in the Illinois General Assembly, Roberts was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1924. He was the first Black man to hold that position. 

Upon his swearing in, Charles E. Griffin, a fellow member of the Illinois General Assembly, described Roberts as “a brilliant scholar; refined and cultured and an orator without a peer, and without doubt he will make an enviable record and be an outstanding character in the upper branch of the Legislature.” Roberts’ constituents consequently reelected him to serve two more terms. 

Throughout his political career, Roberts was a faithful member of the Republican Party in the legacy of Abraham Lincoln, as many in the Black community were at the time. In 1928, Roberts served as a leader for the party’s “Colored Voters’ Division,” just as Republican Herbert Hoover was campaigning for president. However, Hoover’s administration marked a turning point for the party and its relationship with the Black community, many of whom felt that the president did not adequately represent their interests. Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal motivated many to change their affiliation, resulting in a shift in party demographics.  

Roberts is remembered for his civic service and support of civil rights. Among his career accomplishments, he introduced a bill into the General Assembly to prohibit Ku Klux Klan activity, for which he allegedly received death threats. He also participated in a commission on race relations at the appointment of Frank O. Lowden, an 1887 alumnus of the Law School and governor of Illinois at the time. In recognition of his service, a statue of Roberts was commissioned and given in a place of honor in the Illinois Capitol Building in Springfield in the 1980s.  

 Note: Conflicting information prevents researchers from confidently determining Roberts’ birth year.