Homer Sylvester Brown (September 23, 1896 – May 22, 1977) was an American judge, civil rights leader, and elected state representative in Pennsylvania. In a career of firsts, he was the first African American in a variety of leadership roles, including the first African American ever appointed to the Pittsburgh Board of Public Education and the first president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. ...
..
Career
Brown was born in
Huntington, West Virginia September 23, 1896. He graduated from
Virginia Union University
Virginia Union University is a private historically black Baptist university in Richmond, Virginia. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA.
History
The American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS) founded the school as Rich ...
and received his law degree from the
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
in 1923.
He was first elected to the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the Pittsburgh neighborhood known as the
Hill District
The Hill District is a grouping of historically African American neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Beginning in the years leading up to World War I, "the Hill" was the cultural center of black life in the city and a major cent ...
, in 1934. He served seven consecutive terms until 1950. During his tenure, Capitol news correspondents twice voted him "most able member" of the Pennsylvania House.
Brown served as judge in the
Allegheny County Court, as well as the Court of Common Pleas from 1950-1975, the first African American to be elected as a judge in the county.
Personal life
Brown married Wilhelmina Byrd in 1927 and had a son,
Byrd Rowlett Brown, who was also active in promoting civil rights.
Homer S. Brown died on May 22, 1977, in Pittsburgh.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Homer S.
African-American judges
Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
1896 births
1977 deaths
Virginia Union University alumni
University of Pittsburgh School of Law alumni
Activists from Pennsylvania
Activists for African-American civil rights
Politicians from Huntington, West Virginia
African-American state legislators in Pennsylvania
Judges of the Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas
20th-century American judges
Lawyers from Pittsburgh
County judges in the United States
20th-century American politicians
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century African-American politicians
Lawyers from Huntington, West Virginia
African-American men in politics