He led the delegation from the District of Columbia to the 1968 Democratic National Convention . Members of the District 's Delegation were originally pledged to Robert F. Kennedy . Following Senator Kennedy 's death , the delegation voted to nominate Rev. Phillips as a favorite son instead . He received 68 votes ( behind Hubert Humphrey , Eugene McCarthy and George McGovern ) . By some accounts , this makes Rev. Phillips the first black person ever so nominated at a major party convention . He was without question the first African-American to receive votes for the presidential nomination at a Democratic National Convention . Frederick Douglass received votes for president at the 1888 Republican National Convention , but it does not appear from the official record that his name was actually put into nomination
1888 Republican National Convention
1888 Republican National Convention
Channing E. Phillips