Wiley A. Branton facts for kids
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Wiley Austin Branton (1923-1988) was an important civil rights lawyer and activist from Arkansas. He became well-known after he filed a lawsuit against the Little Rock School Board. This case eventually went all the way to the Supreme Court. After this big trial, Branton moved to Atlanta, Georgia. There, he became the leader of the Voter Education Project. He also worked for the government, helping with equal opportunity and as a lawyer for the Department of Justice. For five years, he was also the Dean of Howard University School of Law.
Early Life and Education
Wiley Branton was born on December 13, 1923, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. His mother, Pauline, was a teacher. His father, Leo, ran a taxi business. Even though his family had some comforts, Wiley had to go to separate schools for Black students. This was because of segregation laws at the time.
He later went to Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical, and Normal College. While studying, he also helped manage his father's taxi company. In 1943, his studies paused when he joined the United States Army. By the end of World War II, he was a master sergeant in an Engineer Aviation Battalion. His time in the army helped him understand more about unfairness in the world.
After the war, Branton took over his father's business. He also went back to college. He earned a degree in business administration in 1950. That same year, Branton became one of the first Black students to be accepted into the University of Arkansas School of Law. He had helped with efforts to allow Black students into the university. He encouraged Silas Hunt to be the first Black student to enroll. This happened after the governor wanted a separate law school for Black students.
Wiley Branton graduated in 1953. He was the third Black student to earn a law degree from that university. After graduating, he opened his own law office in Pine Bluff. He ran this office from 1953 to 1962. In his personal life, Branton married Lucille McKee in 1948. They had six children together.
Fighting for Rights: Civil Rights and Legal Work
Soon after returning from the war, Branton joined his local branch of the NAACP. His first big project with the group was a campaign to help people register to vote. The goal was to teach Black Americans how to properly fill out their ballots. Because of his activism, he faced challenges and was fined. However, the local Black community helped pay his fine. This showed their strong support for him.
As a lawyer, Branton worked with the NAACP to fight for the rights of Black people in the South. In 1956, Branton and NAACP director Thurgood Marshall filed a lawsuit. It was against the Little Rock, Arkansas, school board. The school board refused to desegregate their schools. This was despite the Supreme Court's decision in the Brown v. Board of Education case.
The Little Rock lawsuit, called Cooper v. Aaron, was heard by the Supreme Court in 1958. This case led to the desegregation of Central High School. During this time, Branton and his family received many threats. Crosses were even burned on their lawn.
Later, he became the leader of the Southern Regional Council's voter education project in Atlanta. In 1965, Branton moved to Washington D.C. There, he worked for the government. He was the executive secretary on the Council on Equal Opportunity. This was a program started by the Johnson administration.
