Isaiah Montgomery

Life & Legacy

Isaiah Thornton Montgomery (May 21, 1847 – March 5, 1924) was an American community leader, politician, and the founder of Mound Bayou, Mississippi, an all-black community. He was a Republican delegate to the 1890 Mississippi Constitutional Convention, and served as the mayor of Mound Bayou.
He participated in the 1890 Mississippi constitutional convention as a delegate from Bolivar County and voted for the adoption of a state constitution that included the utilization of poll taxes and literacy tests to maintain general standards, at that time, for voter registration. Montgomery promoted an accommodationist position for African Americans. The I. T. Montgomery House in Mound Bayou is a National Landmark.
He has been described as "Mississippi's Booker T. Washington". He is also known as I. T. Montgomery, and Isaiah Montgomery.