Hubert Thomas Delany facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hon. Hubert Thomas Delany
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Delany in 1938
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| Born | May 11, 1901 |
| Died | December 28, 1990 (aged 89) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | City College of New York B.A. NYU School of Law J.D. |
| Occupation | Lawyer, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Tax Commissioner, Justice of New York City Domestic Relations Court, Civil Rights Advocate |
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Hubert Thomas Delany (May 11, 1901 – December 28, 1990) was an important American civil rights leader. He was a lawyer, a politician, and one of the first African American judges in New York City. He also became the first African American Tax Commissioner of New York.
Judge Delany worked hard for equal rights. He was on the board of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He was also a leader in the Harlem Renaissance, a time when Black art and culture thrived. He advised many famous people, including Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr., and poet Langston Hughes. He also helped stars like opera singer Marian Anderson and baseball legend Jackie Robinson.
Early Life and Education
Hubert Delany was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, on May 11, 1901. He was the eighth of ten children. His father, Rev. Henry Beard Delany, was the first Black person to become a Bishop in the Episcopal Church in the United States. His mother, Nannette James Logan Delany, was a teacher.
Hubert grew up on the campus of St. Augustine's University, where his parents worked. He graduated from the school in 1919. His older sisters, Sadie and Bessie Delany, also became civil rights pioneers. They wrote a famous book called Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years.
When he was young, Hubert thought he would become a church leader like his father. But after high school, he moved to New York City. He attended the City College of New York, graduating in 1923. To pay for college, he worked as a "Red Cap" porter at New York Penn Station. While studying law at New York University School of Law, he also taught in Harlem elementary schools. He earned his law degree in 1926.
Professional Career and Family Life
First Marriage and Loss
After law school, Delany married Clarissa Scott Delany in 1926. She was a poet and social worker involved in the Harlem Renaissance. Sadly, Clarissa passed away in 1927 from kidney disease, just one year after they were married.
Second Marriage and Family Life
Delany later married Willetta S. Mickey. New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia performed their wedding ceremony. Willetta was a dedicated social worker. She started "Adopt-A-Child," a program that helped find homes for Black, Hispanic, and other minority children who needed adoption.
In 1954, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited the Delany home in Harlem. This was a very special event because the Delanys were the first African American family to host a sitting First Lady. Mrs. Roosevelt supported Willetta's work with adoption agencies. She famously said, "No matter what the color of their skin, all our children must be looked at as the future rich heritage of the country."
Legal and Political Work
From 1927 to 1933, Delany worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. He won many cases and became the highest-paid African American federal appointee in the country. In 1934, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia made him a tax commissioner. Later, in 1942, he became a judge in the Court of Domestic Relations.
In 1929, Delany ran for Congress. Even though he didn't win, he earned the respect of Mayor LaGuardia. During the Harlem riot of 1935, Delany and Mayor LaGuardia walked through the streets together to calm things down. After the riot, Delany was part of a special commission. This group found that the riot was caused by poverty, racial unfairness, and a city government that didn't listen to its people.
Delany also had his own law practice. One of his famous clients was opera singer Marian Anderson. In 1939, a group called the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused to let Anderson sing in their hall because she was Black. Delany helped arrange for her to sing instead on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Thousands of people, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, resigned from the DAR because of this unfair treatment.
As a Family Court Justice from 1942 to 1955, Judge Delany was known for being fair and caring. He strongly supported civil rights. He spoke out against unfair treatment of Black, Jewish, and Catholic people by religious groups, the military, and employers. He also believed that probation officers should not be matched with young people based on race.
Some people criticized Delany for his strong views on civil rights. They called him "too liberal." In 1955, he was not reappointed as a judge. Delany believed this was because he spoke out so much against second-class citizenship for Black Americans. The NAACP and the National Urban League supported him and protested the decision.
After leaving the court, Delany continued to practice law.
Fighting Unfair Treatment
In 1955, Judge Delany experienced unfair treatment himself. A hotel in Hartford, Connecticut, refused him a room even though he had a reservation, simply because he was Black. He filed a complaint with the city's Civil Rights Commission.
Helping Israel
In 1956, the Government of Israel invited Delany to Tel Aviv. He worked as a consultant to their Minister of Justice. He helped them study issues with young people and reorganize their Family Courts.
Martin Luther King Jr. Trial
In 1960, Hubert Delany was part of the legal team for Martin Luther King Jr.. King was accused of not paying income tax in Alabama. Delany helped King win a "not guilty" verdict from an all-white jury in a segregated state. This was a huge victory for civil rights.
King later wrote that this verdict was a "turning point" in his life. He praised Delany and the other lawyers, saying they showed "wisdom, courage, and a highly developed art of advocacy." He noted that they convinced a prejudiced jury to choose justice.
Working for Fair Housing
In 1963, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller asked Delany to lead a special commission on low-income housing. This group suggested using state money to help low-income families live in middle-income housing. The goal was to promote integration and ensure everyone had a good place to live. This commission helped create the New York State Urban Development Corporation, which built many homes for families with limited incomes.
Important Supreme Court Case
Delany was also involved in a major Supreme Court case in 1969, Powell v. McCormack. This case was about whether Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. could be denied his seat in the House of Representatives. Delany was on the legal team that argued Powell should be allowed to serve. The Supreme Court agreed, ruling that Congress could not exclude a member who met the basic requirements of age, citizenship, and residence.
Later Life and Legacy
Hubert Delany passed away on December 28, 1990, at the age of 89 in Manhattan. He left behind his wife, Willetta, and two children, Dr. Madelon Delany Stent and Dr. Harry Mickey Delany. He also had six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Honors and Awards
- In 1945, Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) gave Delany an honorary Doctor of Law degree.
- In 1956, Tel Aviv University in Israel gave him an Honorary Fellowship. He was one of only two Americans to receive this honor.
Many of Delany's important papers and photos are kept at the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem.
Family History
It can be hard for descendants of enslaved Africans to trace their family history before the American Civil War. However, Judge Delany's family history has been traced back to the mid-1700s. This amazing story is told in the bestselling book Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years, written by his older sisters, Sadie and Bessie.
Children of Bishop Henry Beard Delany
Hubert T. Delany was one of ten children born to Rev. Henry Beard Delany. His siblings were:
- Sadie (1889–1999) and Bessie (1891-1995) Delany: Both lived to be over 100 years old. Their book, Having Our Say, shares their family's experiences with racial segregation and how they moved from the South to Harlem to find more opportunities. Many in the family were active in the Harlem Renaissance and Civil Rights Movement.
- Lemuel Thackara Delany (1887–1956): A doctor who practiced in Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Julia Emery Delany (1893–1974): A talented musician who became a singer and music teacher.
- Henry Beard Delany Jr. (1895–1991): A dentist who had a practice in Harlem with his sister Bessie.
- Lucius Logan Delany Sr. (1897–1969): A lawyer.
- William Manross Delany (1899–1955): Served in World War I and World War II.
- Laura Edith Delany (1903–1993): A school teacher.
- Samuel Ray Delany (1906–1960): A mortician who started a funeral home in Harlem.
Hubert T. Delany's nephew is the famous American author and professor Samuel R. Delany. He has written many science fiction books and won awards for his work.
Connection to St. Augustine's University
The Delany family has a long and special connection to St. Augustine's University. The university is a historically black college founded in 1867. Hubert's parents and all his siblings were born, raised, and educated on this campus. The Delany family is even called "The First Family of St. Augustine's" because of their deep roots and contributions to the school and community. Many Delany family members became teachers, doctors, and lawyers, showing the importance of education for their future.
