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Hugo Black: The Cold Steel Warrior

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Hugo L. Black: Cold Steel Warrior

by Howard Ball

4.2 out of 5

Language	:	English
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Hugo Black was a controversial Supreme Court Justice who served from 1937 to 1971. He was known for his strong support of civil rights and his opposition to communism.

Early Life and Career

Black was born in Harlan, Alabama, in 1886. He attended the University of Alabama and later practiced law in Birmingham. In 1912, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served for 24 years.

Black was a strong supporter of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies. He also supported civil rights legislation, and he co-sponsored the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Supreme Court Justice

In 1937, President Roosevelt appointed Black to the Supreme Court. Black quickly became one of the most controversial justices on the Court. He was known for his strong support of civil rights and his opposition to communism.

Black's most famous opinion was in the case of Brown v. Board of Education (1954),which outlawed segregation in public schools. Black wrote that "separate-but-equal" schools were inherently unequal and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Black also wrote the majority opinion in the case of Dennis v. United States (1951),which upheld the conviction of Communist Party leaders for advocating the overthrow of the government. Black argued that the government had a right to protect itself from threats to its security.

Later Life

Black retired from the Supreme Court in 1971. He died in 1979.

Legacy

Hugo Black was a controversial figure in his own time, but he is now considered one of the most important justices in the history of the Supreme Court. His strong support of civil rights and his opposition to communism helped to shape the course of American history.

Additional Information

* Black was a member of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s, but he later renounced his membership. * Black was a close friend of President John F. Kennedy. * Black was a heavy smoker, and he died of lung cancer in 1979.

Image Attributions

* Photo of Hugo Black by Yousuf Karsh [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons * Photo of the Supreme Court building by Jim.henderson [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Hugo L. Black: Cold Steel Warrior

by Howard Ball

4.2 out of 5