Alton Lemon facts for kids

Alton Toussaint Lemon (born October 19, 1928 – died May 4, 2013) was an important social worker and civil rights leader. He is famous for being the main person in a big case that went to the U.S. Supreme Court. This case was about keeping government and religion separate. He won an award called "First Amendment Hero." He was also the first African American to lead the Philadelphia Ethical Society.

Alton Lemon's Early Life and Schooling

Alton Lemon was born on October 19, 1928. His hometown was McDonough, Georgia. He was the second of three children. His father owned a tailor shop there.

Alton grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. He went to public schools until the tenth grade. Later, he finished high school at a private school in Lawrenceville, Virginia. In 1950, he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics. He studied at Morehouse College.

In 1951, he married Augusta Ramsey. She was a nurse. They got married in Birmingham, Alabama. The couple then moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Augusta had found work there. They had a son named Anthony George. Alton also had two grandchildren, Ayanna and Athena. In 1965, he earned a master's degree in social work. He got this degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Alton Lemon's Career and Beliefs

Alton Lemon served for two years in the U.S. Army. After that, he worked for the Department of Defense. He was a civilian at the Aberdeen Proving Ground.

As a social worker, Lemon had a long career. He worked in public service and community organizing. He was a lifelong member of the ACLU. He also belonged to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He worked for local community groups. He also worked for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Later, he worked for the Department of Energy. There, he was an equal opportunity and training officer. He retired in 1987.

Even after retiring, he stayed active. He became the first African American head of the Philadelphia Ethical Society. He also served as president of the Philadelphia chapter. This was for the Morehouse College Alumni Association.

Lemon called his way of thinking "ethical humanism." This means he believed in using reason to guide human actions. In 2003, he received the "First Amendment Hero" award. This award came from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. They also recognized him as an "honorary officer."

Lemon v. Kurtzman - A Landmark Case

Alton Lemon was the main person named in the case Lemon v. Kurtzman. This was a very important case in 1971. The U.S. Supreme Court made a big decision. They ruled that a Pennsylvania law was against the rules. This law allowed public tax money to go to parochial schools. These are private schools often run by religious groups. The Court said this violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. This part of the U.S. Constitution says the government cannot create or favor a religion.

This decision is one of the most often quoted Supreme Court rulings. It created something called the Lemon Test. This test has three parts. It helps decide if a law about religion is allowed. The Lemon Test has been used in many other cases. These include cases about prayer at school events. It also applies to public displays of religious symbols. A famous case about teaching intelligent design in schools, Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, also used this test.

Lemon joined the case after speaking out. He criticized the Pennsylvania law at a meeting. This meeting was for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Philadelphia. Lemon had the right to be part of the case. He was a tax-paying citizen of Pennsylvania. He also had a child attending public school there.

Newspapers in Philadelphia called Lemon a "First Amendment hero." This was because he volunteered to be the main plaintiff. Lemon was surprised that his name was first on such an important case. In 2003, he said, "I still don't know why my name came out first on this case." A law professor, Douglas Laycock, offered an idea. He thought choosing an African American might have been related. At that time, there was a push against school desegregation.

Thirty years after the decision, Lemon was not happy. He felt that the idea of separating church and state was weakening. He said, "separation of church and state is gradually losing ground, I regret to say." He never looked for public attention for his role. But in 2004, he said he was satisfied with the decision. He was proud of his part in it.

Alton Lemon's Death

Alton Lemon died on May 4, 2013. He passed away from Alzheimer's disease. This happened in Rydal Park, near Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. He donated his body to science.

See also

• Ethical movement
• Humanism