James M. Alexander

James Milo Alexander (February 7, 1815May 27, 1871) was an African-American businessperson and politician in Phillips County, Arkansas. Alexander was a successful businessperson and the first African-American justice of the peace in Arkansas. Born into slavery in North Carolina, his enslaver taught him how to read and write. After moving to Arkansas, which was then a frontier region, Alexander's master allowed him to establish his own business, a barbershop.

Though his business prospered and grew to include the sale of dry goods, he remained in bondage until purchasing his freedom and that of several family members in 1860.