James Nabrit Jr. facts for kids
James Madison Nabrit Jr. (born September 7, 1900 – died December 27, 1997) was a very important American lawyer. He fought for civil rights and won many cases at the highest court in the country, the U.S. Supreme Court. He also led Howard University as its president for many years in the 1960s. Later, he became a special representative for the United States at the United Nations. His brother, Samuel M. Nabrit, was also a notable person, working with atomic energy. His son, James Nabrit III, also became a civil rights lawyer.
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Early Life and Education
James Nabrit Jr. was born in Georgia on September 7, 1900. His father, James Nabrit Sr., was a Baptist minister and a baker. His mother was Gertrude Augusta West. James Nabrit Sr. was the son of people who had been enslaved. He taught at a college and became the president of another school. He was a very smart man who taught some of his children subjects like Latin and physics. Seven of his eight children earned advanced college degrees!
James Jr. finished Morehouse College in 1923. He then studied law at Northwestern University Law School, graduating in 1927.
Starting His Career
In 1924, James Nabrit Jr. married Norma Walton. They stayed married until she passed away in 1988. From 1927 to 1930, he taught at colleges in Louisiana and Arkansas. After that, he worked as a lawyer in Houston, Texas, from 1930 to 1936.
In 1936, Nabrit Jr. began teaching law at Howard University. He later became the head of Howard's law school from 1958 to 1960. In 1938, he started the very first official course in the United States dedicated to civil rights law. This was a big step in teaching future lawyers how to fight for equal rights.
Fighting for Civil Rights
Starting in the 1940s and through the 1950s, James Nabrit Jr. worked on many important civil rights cases. He worked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, an organization that helps people fight for their rights. He often worked with other famous lawyers, like Thurgood Marshall, who later became a Supreme Court justice.
One of his most famous cases was Bolling v. Sharpe. This case was heard by the Supreme Court at the same time as Brown v. Board of Education. Both cases were about ending segregation in schools. Bolling v. Sharpe specifically challenged segregated schools in Washington, D.C. Nabrit Jr.'s arguments helped lead to the Supreme Court's decision that separate schools for Black and white students were against the law.
Leading Howard University and Later Life
James Nabrit Jr. became the president of Howard University in 1960 and served until 1965. After that, from 1965 to 1967, he worked as the Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. He was the first African American person to hold this important position.
He returned to be president of Howard University from 1968 to 1969. He stepped down after some students protested, but he said he was just waiting for the university to choose a new leader.
James Nabrit Jr. passed away in Washington, D.C., on December 27, 1997, when he was 97 years old. He was survived by his only son, James Nabrit III. His work as a lawyer and educator helped change laws and open doors for many people in the United States.
