Minnie Buckingham Harper (May 15, 1886 – February 10, 1978) was an American politician and housewife. Born in

Winfield, West Virginia Winfield is a city in and the county seat of Putnam County, West Virginia, United States, located along the Kanawha River. The population was 2,397 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area. History Winfield wa ...

, Harper was a resident of Keystone when in 1928 she became the first Black woman legislator in the United States. She was appointed by Governor Howard M. Gore to the

West Virginia House of Delegates The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature in West Virginia. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates. Organization Regular se ...

to fill the vacancy left by the death of her husband, Ebenezer Howard Harper. The McDowell County Republican Executive Committee unanimously recommended that Harper fill her husband's position. She did not seek re-election at the end of her term.

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* 1886 births 1978 deaths People from Winfield, West Virginia Republican Party members of the West Virginia House of Delegates African-American state legislators in West Virginia 20th-century African-American women politicians Women state legislators in West Virginia People from Keystone, West Virginia 20th-century American women politicians 20th-century African-American politicians 20th-century members of the West Virginia Legislature {{WestVirginia-politician-stub