The Texas Senate has had a complex and often tumultuous relationship with Black history. For much of the state's early history, African Americans were systematically excluded from political participation, including serving in elected office. It wasn't until the post-Civil War Reconstruction era that African Americans were able to participate in Texas politics.

The first Black state senator in Texas was Matthew Gaines, who was elected in 1869 during Reconstruction. He was a prominent advocate for the rights of freed slaves and played a key role in shaping the state's early post-war policies.

However, the gains made by African Americans during Reconstruction were short-lived, as the rise of Jim Crow laws and policies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries effectively disenfranchised Black voters and limited their representation in the Texas Senate.

It wasn't until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s that African Americans once again began to make inroads in the Texas Senate. In 1966, Barbara Jordan became the first African American state senator in Texas since Reconstruction. She went on to become a nationally known figure, serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and delivering a keynote address at the 1976 Democratic National Convention.

Since then, several African American state senators have served in Texas, advocating for issues affecting their communities and working to promote equality and justice. The Texas Senate continues to be a place where Black history is made, as lawmakers work to address the challenges facing African Americans in the state.