Curtis Cavielle Taylor (1896–1967) was an African American pioneering criminal attorney and civil rights lawyer.[1][2][3] He was nicknamed, "The Black Clarence Darrow".[4] Taylor lived in Los Angeles, California.[5][6]

Biography

Curtis Cavielle Taylor was born in 1896 in Edna, Jackson County, Texas.[7] His cousin was Hobart Taylor.[8] He graduated from Prairie View A&M University (1917); and Howard University Law School (1926).[1][9]

Taylor was admitted to the State Bar of California in March 1927 and opened up a private legal practice in Los Angeles.[1] He wrote a news column, "Pertinent Personalities" for The Pacific Defender newspaper around 1927.[10] He married Lotus Blossom Roberts on April 11, 1940 in Yuma, Arizona.[11]

His involvement in the Rush Griffin murder case of 1934, led to a statute regarding stays for capital cases in California.[1][12] He was one of the lawyers in 1938 for George Farley, who killed two Deputy Marshals when they came to his house to evict him.[13] In 1958, Taylor was shot in his office by Warren Willie Stroud. Taylor was representing Stroud's wife who was filing a court case for spousal abuse.[14][15] He survived the shooting.[15]

In 1959, Taylor was honored with the alumni award during the convocation address at Prairie View A&M University.[16] Judge Earl C. Broady, who began his legal career working in Taylor's office, gave a million dollar gift to Howard University in 1987 in his honor.[7] The UCLA Library has numerous photos of him with other prominent African Americans in their archival collection.[17]

Death and legacy

Taylor died in September 1967 at Sawtelle Veterans Administration Hospital in Los Angeles, California.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Smith Jr., J. Clay (July 26, 1999). Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844-1944. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 525. ISBN 0812216857 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ "Party at Curtis C. Taylor's house, Los Angeles, 1940s - UCLA Library Digital Collections". digital.library.ucla.edu.
  3. ↑ DeCoy, Robert H. (July 26, 1969). "This is Progress: The Blue Book Manual of Nigritian History, American Descendants of African Origin, Textbook, Reference, Study Guide, Encyclopedia". Nigritian, Incorporated – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ "Farley Doesn't Remember Killing Deputies, Says Everything "Went Black" When Evictors Shoved". The Pittsburgh Courier. 1938-05-28. p. 22. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  5. ↑ "Legal Directory". The Crisis. Vol. 46, no. 9. The Crisis Publishing Company, Inc. September 26, 1939. p. 284. ISSN 0011-1422 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ "Liaison Movement Launched in West". The Pittsburgh Courier. 1928-02-11. p. 13. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  7. 1 2 Smith Jr., J. Clay (April 24, 1987). "Alumnus Inspired Million Dollar Gift". Howard University.
  8. 1 2 "Obituary for Curtis CL Taylor". Southwest Topics-Wave. 1967-09-28. p. 35. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  9. ↑ "1926 Graduation from Howard with an Award". Evening Star. 1926-06-13. p. 22. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  10. ↑ "Two Race Men Pass State Bar". The Topeka Plaindealer. 1927-04-08. p. 4. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  11. ↑ Angeleno, Molly (1940-08-24). "The Curtis Taylors' Marriage Reception Takes Angel City Spot". The Pittsburgh Courier. p. 10. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  12. ↑ "Rush Griffin Will Hang For Student Death, Accomplice Escapes Gallows; Pair Will Appeal". California Eagle. 1935-01-18. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  13. ↑ "Mass Meet Monday As Trial Date Nears". California Eagle. 1938-04-28. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  14. ↑ "Los Angeles Lawyer Shot By Mystery Man". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. December 18, 1958. p. 6 – via Google Books.
  15. 1 2 "Atty. Taylor Tells Court of Shooting". California Eagle. 1958-12-25. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  16. ↑ 83rd Convocation Exercises, 18th Annual Convocation. Prairie View, TX: Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical College. May 24, 1959. p. 8.
  17. ↑ "Names: Taylor, Curtis C. (Cavielle), 1896-1967 - UCLA Library Digital Collections Search Results". digital.library.ucla.edu.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.