Obama, 2 Native Americans Top 'Minority Trailblazers' List

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- The nation's first black president has topped the list of "minority trailblazers" chosen in the Illinois Top 200 project as part of the state's bicentennial.

Barack Obama was a community organizer in Chicago and served as state senator and U.S. senator before winning the White House in 2008.

The online voters' choices were announced as part of Illinois' 200th birthday on December 3.

Obama was followed by two Native Americans. Black Hawk was a Sauk warrior who fought white America's expansion into Illinois. Chief Keokuk was a rival who gave up land to settlers to avoid bloodshed.

Harold Washington and Patricia Roberts Harris followed. Washington was Chicago's first black mayor and Harris was the first black woman to serve as ambassador and cabinet member under President Jimmy Carter.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.