John Clifford Hawkins was a lawyer and politician in New York City during the early 20th century.
He served in the
New York Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits in the United ...
and represented Harlem as a New York City alderman.
Background
Hawkins was born in
Middleburg, North Carolina
Middleburg is a town in Vance County, North Carolina, Vance County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 133 at the 2010 census. It was in Warren County, North Carolina, Warren County and known as Middleburgh prior to the establishmen ...
on March 29, 1879, the son of John and Sara Hawkins. In 1903, he graduated from
Lincoln University. He studied law at
New York University School of Law
New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in New ...
.
Career
He was a member of the
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits.
The Assem ...
(New York Co., 21st D.) in
1919
Events
January
* January 1
** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia.
** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the c ...
,
1920
Events January
* January 1
** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20.
** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...
and
1921
Events
January
* January 2
** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil.
** The Spanish lin ...
. He was the second African-American New York assemblyman after
Edward A. Johnson
Edward Austin Johnson (November 23, 1860 – July 24, 1944) was an attorney who became the first African-American member of the New York state legislature when he was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1917.
Biography
Johnson was born ...
in 1918.
In 1927, he was elected an
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...
of the City of New York, representing the 21st District.
He was one of two African Americans serving as aldermen in 1929 and was reportedly offered the minority leadership post but turned it down.
See also
*
List of African-American officeholders (1900-1959)
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
Warren B. Douglass
Warren B. Douglass (January 25, 1886 – ?) was a state legislator in Illinois. A Republican, Ida B. Wells ran as an independent against him.
He married and had a child.
See also
*List of African-American officeholders (1900-1959)
References
References
1879 births
African-American lawyers
African-American state legislators in New York (state)
New York University School of Law alumni
People from Vance County, North Carolina
Year of death missing
Politicians from New York City
New York (state) lawyers
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American politicians
20th-century African-American politicians
African-American men in politics
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