At the Republican State Convention in 1865, Russell introduced the resolution declaring negro suffrage in Iowa and carried it by a decisive majority. His more famous son, Charles Edward Russell, went on to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
At the Republican State Convention in 1865, Russell championed a resolution supporting black suffrage in Iowa and won widespread backing. His distinguished son, Charles Edward Russell, went on to establish the NAACP.