First Black Congressman From 92% White District—They Attacked Him" In 1990, Gary Franks made history twice: he became Connecticut's first Black congressman and the first Black Republican in the House since 1935—a 58-year gap. But the most groundbreaking part? His district was 92% white, making him the first Black representative ever elected from a majority-white district in American history. Son of a brass mill worker and a hospital dietary aide from Waterbury, Franks graduated from Yale in 1975