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).
Russell presented a groundbreaking proposal at the Republican State Convention in 1865, calling for African American voting rights in Iowa and garnering overwhelming support. His illustrious son, Charles Edward Russell, would eventually found the NAACP.