Shepard 's congregation encouraged him to become involved in secular politics , and he held several offices over his lifetime . Running as a member of the Democratic Party , he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1934 as one of three members from the 18th district , along with fellow Democrats Joseph Ominsky and John J. Finnerty . ( House members at that time were chosen from multimember districts . ) While in the legislature , he co-sponsored a bill that would have banned racial discrimination in state contracting . Shepard was chosen to offer a prayer at the 1936 Democratic National Convention , which was held in Philadelphia that year . The sight of a black minister on the podium led Ellison D. Smith , a segregationist Senator representing South Carolina , to storm out of the convention . Shepard 's response to the incident was to say " it was just a sign the good brother needs more prayer . " In 1936 , Shepard , Ominsky , and Finnerty were all reelected to the legislature . The following year , he was appointed to a commission charged with drafting a new city charter for Philadelphia , but the resulting document was rejected by the voters at the polls that November . He was not a candidate for reelection in 1938 , but in 1940 he ran again and was elected along with Finnerty and Samuel Rose . After that term ended , President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Shepard recorder of deeds in Washington , D.C. , a position he held until 1951 . At that time , Shepard and Mary McLeod Bethune were the only two black people in government service in the nation 's capital
1936 Democratic National Convention
1936 Democratic National Convention
Marshall L. Shepard