Orzell Billingsley (October 24, 1924 – December 14, 2001) was one of the first ten African-Americans admitted to the Alabama Bar; he was also known for his work in civil rights litigation, and he was one of the lead lawyers for

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

during the 1955

Montgomery bus boycott The Montgomery bus boycott was a political and social boycott, protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery, Alabama. It was a foundational event in the civil rights movement in the United ...

. Co-founder of the

Alabama Democratic Conference The Alabama Democratic Conference (ADC) is an African-American political league, co-founded by Orzell Billingsley and others, in cooperation with the national Democratic Party. Formed in 1960 as the Black Political Caucus of Alabama, it was the f ...

and its first president, Billingsley helped develop this first statewide African-American political organization in Alabama. He was well known for his 15-year defense of Caliph Washington of

Bessemer, Alabama Bessemer is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County, Alabama, United States and a southwestern suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham. The population was 26,019 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is within the Bi ...

, who was falsely accused and convicted of killing a white police officer; it was this case that helped to end

all-white juries Racial discrimination in jury selection is specifically prohibited by law in many jurisdictions throughout the world. In the United States, it has been defined through a series of judicial decisions. However, juries composed solely of one racial ...

in Alabama.

Early life and education

Orzell Billingsley was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He had a brother. After attending local schools, he studied at

Talladega College Talladega College is a Private college, private, Historically black colleges and universities, historically black college in Talladega, Alabama. It is Alabama's oldest private historically black college and offers 17 degree programs. It is accred ...

and the law school of

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

. He was among the first ten African-Americans to be admitted to the Alabama bar.

Career

Billingsley set up a practice in Birmingham, where he was long involved in civil rights litigation. He often defended African Americans accused of crimes, and was known for his 15-year long defense of Caliph Washington. He was arrested for "acting as an agent of a foreign corporation," when he filed a deed on behalf of the

Nation of Islam The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930. A centralized and hierarchical organization, the NOI is committed to black nationalism and focuses its attention on the Afr ...

to secure farmland in Alabama. Presidents

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

and

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after assassination of John F. Kennedy, the assassination of John F. Ken ...

were known to call on Billingsley regarding the turbulence during the civil rights era in Alabama. Billingsley served as General Counsel for the

National Democratic Party of Alabama The National Democratic Party of Alabama (NDPA) was a political party active in the U.S. state of Alabama that opposed the segregationist governor George Wallace. 1968 election During the 1968 presidential election, Alabama's Democratic Party ...

(NDPA) and was a delegate for the NDPA at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Billingsley helped to incorporate more than 20 small towns in Alabama that had majority-black populations. Billingsley was a co-founder of the

, a statewide organization for African-American politics. He was a founding member of the Alabama Lawyers Association. He challenged the white practice of addressing African Americans by their first names in court, winning them the right to be called by their full proper names and titles during court proceedings. He was known as the "black Patrick Henry of Alabama."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Billingsley, Orzell 1924 births 2001 deaths Howard University alumni Lawyers from Birmingham, Alabama Talladega College alumni 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century African-American lawyers