Charles Hamilton Houston

Date of Birth: September 3, 1895

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Date of Death: April 22, 1950

Biography

Charles Hamilton Houston was an influential American lawyer, educator, and civil rights activist. Born in Washington, D.C., Houston played a pivotal role in dismantling the Jim Crow laws and laying the groundwork for the civil rights movement. He is best known for his work in strategies to end racial segregation, particularly in American public schools. Houston graduated from Amherst College in 1915 and later attended Harvard Law School, where he became the first African American to serve on the editorial board of the Harvard Law Review. After completing his education, he served as a law professor and vice-dean at Howard University School of Law, where he mentored future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Houston’s legal strategies were instrumental in several landmark Supreme Court cases, including Brown v. Board of Education. His relentless advocacy for civil rights earned him the nickname “The Man Who Killed Jim Crow.” Unfortunately, Houston’s career was cut short when he died at the age of 54.

5 Interesting Facts about Charles Hamilton Houston

1. Charles Hamilton Houston was the first African-American editor of the Harvard Law Review.

2. He played a crucial role in dismantling the legal framework of racial segregation in the United States.

3. Houston mentored Thurgood Marshall, who would go on to become the first African American Supreme Court Justice.

4. He served in the United States Army during World War I, which influenced his views on racial injustice.

5. Houston was posthumously awarded the NAACP’s Spingarn Medal in 1950.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Charles Hamilton Houston

1. “A lawyer’s either a social engineer or he’s a parasite on society.”

2. “The hate and scorn showered on us Negro officers by our fellow Americans filled me with a bitter determination to use my time, energy, and talents to destroy the evils of segregation.”

3. “I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees.”

4. “The individual must be granted rights that are not to be taken away by any state or nation.”

5. “The struggle for equality is a never-ending process.”