The Forgotten Black Governor of Tennessee

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]In 1876, a black man ran for governor of Tennessee. His name was William Yardley, and almost nobody knows it. Born into slavery in Knoxville, Yardley taught himself to read, became a lawyer, and stood before white courtrooms in the Jim Crow South without flinching.

[00:00:17]When the Republican Party nominated him for governor, he didn't run to lose. He ran to be seen, to force Tennessee to reckon with what black men were capable of. He didn't win. The system wasn't built for him to win, but he showed up anyway. He campaigned across East Tennessee, spoke to crowds who had never seen a black man demand power out loud.

[00:00:40]He built something that couldn't be unbuilt. After the race, Yardley kept practicing law in Knoxville. He kept fighting. He kept showing up. History buried his name, but the courage it took to stand in 1876 Tennessee and say, "I am running for governor," that doesn't disappear.

[00:00:58]That's the kind of legacy that deserves to be remembered. Drop a fist emoji in the comments if you think William Yardley's name should be in every Tennessee history book, and follow this page because the history they left out is exactly what we're here to tell.