D'Army Bailey facts for kids

D'Army Bailey (November 29, 1941 – July 12, 2015) was an American lawyer, judge, civil rights activist, author, and actor. He was born and grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. He is best known for starting the National Civil Rights Museum. This important museum opened in 1991 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. This was the place where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was sadly killed in 1968.

Bailey also served as a city councilman in Berkeley, California, from 1971 to 1973. He wrote two books: Mine Eyes Have Seen: Dr. Martin Luther King’s Final Journey (1993) and The Education of a Black Radical (2009). He also acted in several movies, often playing a judge.

Bailey earned his law degree from Yale Law School in 1967. He worked as a lawyer in Memphis for 16 years. In 1990, he became a judge in Tennessee. He was even nominated twice to serve on the Tennessee Supreme Court.

Early Life and Activism

D'Army Bailey was born in South Memphis and grew up near Mississippi Boulevard. He went to Booker T. Washington High School from 1955 to 1959. At that time, schools in Tennessee and other Southern states were still segregated, meaning Black and white students went to separate schools.

Bailey later attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As a student, he quickly became involved in the fight against segregation. He joined sit-ins at bus stations and protested against businesses that didn't hire Black people. He even led a march to support students who were jailed for demonstrating. His strong activism led to him being expelled from Southern University.

News of his expulsion reached Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. Students there had created a scholarship for civil rights activists. They raised money through bake sales and car washes to help Bailey continue his education at Clark.

At Clark, Bailey helped start and lead the Worcester Student Movement. He invited important civil rights leaders like Malcolm X to speak. He also worked with other famous activists such as James Meredith and John Lewis. The student group tutored kids from low-income areas and protested against stores that discriminated in hiring. Bailey learned how law could help bring about change by helping to file complaints against discrimination.

Public Service in California

After finishing his law degree, Bailey worked in New York. He helped recruit law students for civil rights work in the South. Later, he moved to San Francisco, California, to practice law.

In 1971, he was elected to the Berkeley City Council. He worked to create new job opportunities and expand housing, recreation, and child-care programs. However, the politics in Berkeley at the time were very divided. He was recalled from the council in 1973.

Bringing History to Life in Memphis

In 1974, D'Army Bailey returned to Memphis. He started a law practice with his brother. In 1982, he joined a group of lawyers and activists. They raised $144,000 to buy the Lorraine Motel. This was the motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The motel was going to be sold at an auction.

Bailey then worked to save the motel and create a civil rights museum there. He organized a foundation to raise money. He was the Board President from 1983 until the National Civil Rights Museum opened in 1991. He worked hard to get both public and private money for the museum.

Bailey believed the museum should inspire people to continue working for civil rights. He saw it as a place to help finish the "unfinished business of the civil rights movement."

The museum shows the story of the struggle for African-American civil rights. It covers history from when the first Africans arrived in America in 1619, all the way to Dr. King's assassination in 1968. In 2014, the main motel building was renovated. It now has many new interactive exhibits.

Law and Judicial Career

From 1976 to 1983, Bailey worked part-time for the Shelby County, Tennessee public defender's office. He represented people in many legal cases. During this time, he also wrote a weekly opinion column for a Memphis newspaper. He hosted a local TV show and appeared as a legal expert on Court TV.

Before becoming a judge in 1990, he practiced law for 16 years. He handled both criminal and civil cases. Much of his work was in personal injury law. He was elected to serve three terms as a judge. He also served three terms as president of the Memphis chapter of the National Bar Association.

After 19 years as a judge, Bailey left the bench in 2009 to return to being a civil trial lawyer. He focused on cases involving medical mistakes and nursing home care. However, in 2014, he was elected again and returned to his judge's office.

Bailey also lectured at many law schools, including Harvard, Loyola, and Notre Dame University. He published legal articles in law school journals.

Film Roles

D'Army Bailey was a member of the Screen Actors Guild. He worked in movies for three decades. He worked with famous directors like Oliver Stone and Miloš Forman. He once said acting was "hard work, but it's something different for me."

In the movie The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), Bailey played a judge. He also appeared in Cigarette Girl (2009), where he played a store owner. In Deadline (2012), his final film role, he played another judge. His other roles included a minister and a pool player.

Personal Life and Passing

D'Army Bailey was married to Adrienne Marie Leslie. They had two sons, Justin and Merritt. Bailey passed away on July 12, 2015, from cancer in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

Partial Filmography

• Mystery Train (1989) – Pool Player 3 (segment "Lost In Space")
• The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) – Judge Thomas Alva Mantke
• How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998) – Minister
• Woman's Story (2000) – Adam Freeman
• Forty Shades of Blue (2005) - Man (uncredited)
• Street Life (2007) (Video) – Agent Mike Stone
• Nothing But the Truth (2008) – Supreme Court Judge
• Cigarette Girl (2009) – Store Owner
• Deadline (2012) – Judge Williams (final film role)