Chevene Bowers King facts for kids

Chevene Bowers King (born October 12, 1923 – died March 15, 1988) was an important American lawyer and leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Georgia. He also ran for political office, working to make things fair for everyone.

Growing Up and School

Chevene King was born in Albany, Georgia. He was one of eight children. His father, Clennon Washington King Sr., and mother, Margaret King, both went to Tuskegee Institute. He had six brothers, including Clennon Washington King Jr., Slater King, and Preston King.

After finishing high school in Albany, his college studies were paused. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946 during World War II.

His Path to Becoming a Lawyer

Chevene King studied at several colleges. He first went to Tuskegee Institute and then West Virginia College. Later, he transferred to Fisk University in Nashville, a special university for Black students. He earned his history degree there in 1949.

He then went to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he earned his law degree in 1952. In 1951, he married Carol Roumaine Koiner Johnson. After passing the Ohio bar exam in 1953, he returned to Albany. In 1954, he passed the Georgia bar exam. At that time, he was the only Black lawyer practicing in Georgia south of Atlanta.

Fighting for Civil Rights

As a lawyer and civil rights leader, Chevene King spent his life fighting for justice and equal chances for all Americans. Even though he worked from Albany, he became known across the country.

Leading the Albany Movement

In the early 1960s, King helped start the Albany Movement. This was a big civil rights campaign. It was one of the first major efforts for Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) after his work in Montgomery. During this movement, Chevene King represented many people who were protesting for their rights. This included MLK, Ralph Abernathy, Wyatt Tee Walker, and Andrew Young.

Even though the movement was mostly peaceful, Chevene King faced violence himself. In July 1962, a sheriff named D.C. "Cull" Campbell hit King many times. King was trying to visit a jailed protester. A photo of a bleeding King even appeared on the front page of The New York Times. Later, in 1963, civil rights leader John Lewis spoke about this incident at the March on Washington.

Breaking Barriers in Politics

In 1964, Chevene King made history. He was the first African-American from Georgia to run for the U.S. House of Representatives since the late 1800s. In 1970, he became the first African-American ever to run for Governor of Georgia. Even though he didn't win, his campaign encouraged many African-Americans across the state to register to vote.

Important Legal Victories

Chevene King spent a lot of his time doing pro bono legal work. This means he helped poor people for free. He also volunteered for community projects. He was especially known for leading important lawsuits against unfair practices in Georgia.

He won many cases that helped change things for the better:

• School Desegregation: He worked on cases like Gaines v. Dougherty County Board of Education and Lockett v. Board of Education of Muscogee County. These cases helped make sure that schools followed the Brown v. Board of Education ruling. This ruling said that separate schools for Black and white students were illegal. His work sped up desegregation in many areas.
• Right to Protest: Cases like Anderson v. City of Albany and Kelly v. Page helped protect people's right to gather peacefully and protest.
• Fair Voting: In Bell v. Southwell, he ended the use of separate voting booths for different races. This made elections fairer.
• Fair Juries: He won cases like Brown v. Culpepper and Rabinowitz v. United States. These cases stopped the unfair practice of keeping Black people off juries or making sure they were not fully represented.
• Equal Employment: The case Johnson v. City of Albany helped end unfair practices in local government jobs.

His Legacy

Chevene King passed away in 1988 after battling prostate cancer. In 2000, a federal courthouse was named after him, honoring his important contributions.

Family Connections

Chevene King's family also includes other notable people. He was the uncle of Baroness King of Bow, who was the second Black woman elected to the British House of Commons. He was also the uncle of Alonzo King, a famous choreographer and ballet master.

Portrayal In The Media

Chevene King's life story was made into a play by David Morley (writer) and shown by the BBC.