United States
On January 13, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration installed Robert C. Weaver as the first African American cabinet secretary (Housing and Urban Development). This appointment marked a milestone in inclusive governance amid the civil rights movement. Weaver’s role gave him responsibility over urban policy, federal housing programs, and racial equity in housing. His leadership also helped signal the federal government’s willingness to diversify its top ranks. The appointment had symbolic and practical importance in shifting public expectations about race and federal service in the 1960s.
