Margaret Bush Wilson (January 30, 1919 – August 11, 2009) was an American lawyer and
activist
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...
. Wilson broke many barriers as an
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
woman throughout her professional career.
Biography
Born in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
, she successfully managed the St. Louis law firm for more than 40 years. Wilson completed her undergraduate degree at
Talladega College. She graduated with honors in 1940, after studying in India for six months, as a recipient of the
Juliette Derricotte Memorial Fund for Undergraduate Study in India, which had been established by
Sue Bailey Thurman
Sue Bailey Thurman (née, Sue Elvie Bailey; August 26, 1903 – December 25, 1996) was an American author, lecturer, historian and civil rights activist. She was the first non-white student to earn a bachelor's degree in music from Oberlin Colle ...
.
Wilson was one of two women in the second class of the
Lincoln University of Missouri School of Law. She was the second African-American woman that passed the bar and licensed to practice in Missouri in 1943.
In 1946, Wilson's father, James T. Bush, a real estate broker, was instrumental in helping the J. D. Shelley family buy a home. The family was later ordered out of the home when the
Missouri Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Missouri is the highest court in the state of Missouri. It was established in 1820 and is located at 207 West High Street in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri voters have approved changes in the state's constitution to give ...
ruled that the racial restrictive covenant governing the property was enforceable. Mrs. Wilson was counsel for the
Real Estate Brokers Association, which was formed at her father's initiative to take the case to the
U.S. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
. In 1948, the Supreme Court ruled in ''
Shelley v. Kraemer
''Shelley v. Kraemer'', 334 U.S. 1 (1948), is a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark United States Supreme Court case that held that racially restrictive housing Covenant (law), covenants cannot legally be enforced.
The ...
'' that such covenants were unenforceable in the courts.
In 1948 Wilson became the first black woman in Missouri to run for Congress, running on the
Progressive Party ticket. She lost the race and later joined the Democratic Party.
In 1954, Wilson celebrated with colleagues and friends when the ''
Brown vs. Board of Education
''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segrega ...
'' decision was handed down. The next year, her five-year-old son started kindergarten at one of the city's newly integrated schools.
Wilson's professional experience included serving as United States Attorney for the
Rural Electrification Administration
The United States Rural Utilities Service (RUS) administers programs that provide infrastructure or infrastructure improvements to rural communities. These include water and waste treatment, electric power, and telecommunications services. it is ...
of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture and Assistant
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
of Missouri.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s Wilson rose through the presidencies of the St. Louis and Missouri chapters of the
NAACP
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.&nb ...
, when activists began demonstrating in front of the Jefferson Bank & Trust and eventually forced St. Louis businesses to begin hiring blacks for previously all-white jobs. She was elected to the national board of the
NAACP
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.&nb ...
in 1963 and became the first woman to chair of the organization's National Board of Directors in 1975.
After serving nine terms in that office, Wilson was involved in a dispute with the NAACP's executive director,
Benjamin Hooks
Benjamin Lawson Hooks (January 31, 1925 – April 15, 2010) was an American civil rights leader and government official. A Baptist minister and practicing attorney, he served as executive director of the National Association for the Advancemen ...
, alleging managerial incompetence after a 25% drop in membership, significant turnover of financial managers, and unpaid bills. Wilson alleged he refused to cooperate in an audit of the accounting system, so in May 1983 she unilaterally suspended Hooks for insubordination, improper conduct and noncooperation. The board reversed her action eight days later, stripped her of all but ceremonial duties and would deny her the chairman’s traditional right to speak at the NAACP’s annual convention. Six months later, she stood for reelection against a dead man nominated by the 64-member governing body. After her ouster from the NAACP leadership, Wilson returned to St. Louis and continued to practice law until her death.
In the 1980s she was critical of President
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
and his administration's deep budget cuts. When she introduced him before his speech to the NAACP's 1981 national convention in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, she openly attacked him for reviving "war, pestilence, famine, and death," visibly upsetting Reagan and his wife
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Davis Reagan (; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. She was the second wife of president Ronald Reagan.
Reagan was born in N ...
.
She was Board Chair of two historically African-American colleges,
St. Augustine's College and
Talladega, and also served on numerous boards for national companies and nonprofit organizations. She was a trustee emerita of
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...
and
Webster University
Webster University is a private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri. It has multiple branch locations across the United States and countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs ...
, and was Chair of
Law Day
On May 1 the United States officially recognizes Law Day. It is meant to reflect on the role of law in the foundation of the country and to recognize its importance for society.
History
In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared May 1 to ...
2000 for the
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
.
Notes
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Margaret Bush
1919 births
2009 deaths
People from St. Louis
American activists
Missouri lawyers
NAACP activists
African-American lawyers
Activists from Missouri
Talladega College alumni
Lincoln University (Missouri) alumni
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American women lawyers
20th-century African-American women
21st-century African-American people
21st-century African-American women