Mickey Michaux facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry M. "Mickey" Michaux
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| Member of the North Carolina Senate from the 20th district |
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| In office January 13, 2020 – March 31, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Floyd McKissick, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Natalie Murdock |
| Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from the 31st district |
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| In office 2003–2019 |
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| Preceded by | Richard T. Morgan |
| Succeeded by | Zack Forde-Hawkins |
| Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from the 23rd district |
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| In office 1985–2003 |
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| Preceded by | George W. Miller Jr. W. Paul Pulley, Jr. Kenneth B. Spaulding |
| Succeeded by | Joe P. Tolson |
| United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina | |
| In office 1977–1980 |
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| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Benjamin H. White, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth W. McAllister |
| Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from the 16th district |
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| In office 1973 – July 18, 1977 |
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| Preceded by | Bobby W. Rogers James D. Speed |
| Succeeded by | A. J. Howard Clement, III |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Henry McKinley Michaux
September 4, 1930 Durham, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | June Michaux |
| Residence | Durham, North Carolina |
| Alma mater | North Carolina Central University (BS, JD) |
| Profession | Attorney, real estate, insurance |
Henry McKinley "Mickey" Michaux Jr. (born September 4, 1930) is an American civil rights activist and a member of the Democratic Party. He has served in the North Carolina General Assembly, which is the state's law-making body. He represented the 31st House district from 1983 to 2019. Before that, he also served from 1973 to 1977. His district included parts of Durham County.
When he retired, Mr. Michaux was the person who had served the longest in the North Carolina General Assembly. In 2007-2008, he was a senior leader on the House Appropriations Committee. This committee decides how the state's money is spent. He also led the House Select Committee on Street Gang Prevention.
In 2020, when he was 89 years old, Mr. Michaux was chosen to temporarily fill a seat in the North Carolina Senate. This happened after Senator Floyd McKissick, Jr. resigned.
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About Henry Michaux's Life
Henry M. Michaux Jr. was born on September 4, 1930. His parents were Henry M. Michaux and Isadore M. Coates. He was born in Durham, North Carolina, in the United States.
Representative Michaux and his wife, June, have two children. Their names are Jocelyn and Cicero. They live in Durham, North Carolina.
Henry Michaux's Education
In 1948, Michaux attended the Palmer Memorial Institute in Sedalia, North Carolina. He then went to North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina. There, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 1952. He also received his law degree (Juris Doctor) in 1964.
Mr. Michaux also studied advanced topics like physiology and biochemistry at Rutgers University. He studied Business Administration and Economics at North Carolina Central University. He has an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from North Carolina Central University.
Henry Michaux's Career
Mr. Michaux is a lawyer and a businessman. He grew up in Durham, North Carolina, and went to North Carolina Central University. He served in the United States Army Medical Corps from 1952 to 1954. He was also in the Army Reserves until 1960.
In the 1950s, Mr. Michaux became involved in the civil rights movement. This movement worked for equal rights for all people. He became good friends with Martin Luther King Jr.. After working as an assistant district attorney, he was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1972. He decided to go into politics after Dr. King suggested it.
In 1977, Mr. Michaux made history. He became the first African-American United States Attorney in the South since the Reconstruction period. He led the office in the Middle District of North Carolina. After his appointment was confirmed, he left the House of Representatives on July 18, 1977.
When the Carter administration ended, Mr. Michaux left the attorney's office. He ran for Congress in 1982. He then returned to the state legislature in 1983.
Today, he is still a practicing attorney. He is a partner at Michaux and Michaux Practicing Attorneys, which started in 1970. Mr. Michaux has also been the Vice President of Union Insurance and Realty Company since 1955.
Elections and Voting Rules
In 1982, Mr. Michaux received the most votes in the first round of the Democratic primary election for Congress. However, he did not get more than 50 percent of the votes. This meant he had to go into a second election, called a runoff, against Tim Valentine. Valentine won the runoff election. After this, Michaux went back to the state legislature.
He worked to change the law about primary runoffs. Eventually, the law was changed. Now, a candidate only needs to win 40 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff. If this law had been in place in 1982, and if Michaux had won the general election, he would have been the first African-American elected to Congress from North Carolina in the 20th century.
In 1992, Michaux ran in the Democratic primary for the new 12th congressional district. He lost to Mel Watt.
Awards and Honors
Representative Michaux was honored in 2011. He was inducted into the Black College Alumni Hall of Fame. North Carolina Central University also recognized his important work. In 2007, they renamed their School of Education in his honor.
Mr. Michaux has served three times as the National President of the NCCU Alumni Association. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors of the NCCU Foundation, Inc.
In November 2022, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper gave Mr. Michaux the North Carolina Award. This is the highest honor a civilian can receive from the state. He received it for his many years of public service.
Memberships
Mr. Michaux is a member of several legal groups. These include the National Bar Association, the North Carolina Bar Association, and the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers.
When he was studying at North Carolina Central University, Michaux was part of the Lampodas Club of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He served as treasurer for the club in 1949.
Images for kids
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Henry M. "Mickey" Michaux
