G k butterfield biography of albert

His mother was a classroom teacher for 48 years. After earning his law degree, Congressman Butterfield founded a law practice in Wilson and served the community in that capacity for 13 years. He is best known for his successful litigation of voting rights cases that resulted in the election of African-American elected officials throughout eastern North Carolina.

InCongressman Butterfield was elected as resident Superior Court judge. In this role, he presided over civil and criminal court in 46 counties of North Carolina. InButterfield was the campaign manager for the next African-American to pursue the city council seat, Milton Fitch, Sr. Fitch played an important role in the civil rights movement in Wilson and throughout North Carolina.

G k butterfield biography of albert

He ultimately lost the election by a mere nine votes. Coleman later ran again and reclaimed his seat on the city council, where he continues to serve today. House of Representatives, knew about his true intentions for going to law school. His bold plan was to sue the city council and force it to revert back to the ward system instead of at-large elections.

The NAACP thought there was a better case against the county commissioners, which had been using staggered terms, making it difficult to get an African-American elected to the commission. In they won the case on summary judgment in U. District Court. The court stipulated that the county must switch from at-large to district voting, and that three districts must be comprised of a majority of African-Americans.

Butterfield again had his sights on the city council. However, under threat of a lawsuit, the city council changed their method of election from at-large voting to district elections. The county board of education soon followed suit. There was one final hurdle to be crossed to enable African-Americans to have a voice in county government. Butterfield was part of a group that advocated the creation of majority black judicial districts across the state.

He pushed for a plan that allowed for a district to be created that encompassed Wilson and Edgecombe g k butterfield biographies of albert. He lobbied for and was chosen to draw the borders for what became Judicial District 7B. In total, there were eight judicial districts formed across the state with African-American majorities. Butterfield thought that since he had led the fight to get a black majority judicial district for Wilson County, he should take the initiative and run for the district judge position.

He was elected as Resident Superior Court Judge ina seat that he held until Inhe was appointed by the governor to serve on the North Carolina Supreme Court. Inhe ran for the seat but was defeated. Later that year, Butterfield was elected to the seat, and has been reelected to Congress five times. We closed the interview with Congressman Butterfield by asking about his views on how integration has changed East Wilson.

In previous interviews for the East Wilson Oral History Project, we have been told that East Wilson was a more insulated community that took care of itself during the Jim Crow era. That all changed after integration, as businesses were shuttered and the community took an economic and social downturn that it has never been able to recover from. Integration has become both a blessing and a curse [for the African-American community].

Prior to integration we had a very cohesive African-American community. There was a lot of pride, legacy…there was a lot of unity in the African-American community. There was a lot of energy in the black community before integration. You began to see a diminution of unity and purpose in the African-American community. We have never recovered from it.

The white response to that [integration] was private schools and academies. The interview with Congressman Butterfield has provided us with a wealth of information about the trials and tribulations of the African-American community in Wilson. His knowledge of the historical record and his personal experiences in this struggle are a valuable contribution to this project.

It is hoped that current and future generations will take the time to learn about the history of African-Americans in Wilson. They will learn that the accepted norms of their day have not always been the way things were. The events that Butterfield spoke about, from the pre-Jim Crow days of the late 19 th Century to his successful litigation of voting rights in Wilson, seem like ancient history to many of our youth.

To these young people, African-Americans have always had equal rights and could do whatever they wanted. This was not so just a few short decades ago. At the conclusion of the march, Congressman Butterfield registered to vote for the first time. Inworkers at Duke University were organizing to demand improved working conditions. He was later honorably discharged from the Army and returned to NCCU to complete his undergraduate degree.

After completing law school, Congressman Butterfield began his distinguished legal career as a civil rights attorney. For 14 years, Butterfield practiced law across eastern North Carolina representing mostly low-income clients who needed legal services. He also focused on protecting civil rights, winning several voting rights cases that earned him the reputation of a principled litigator.

For 13 years, he presided over civil and criminal courts in 46 counties throughout North Carolina. While serving on the highest court in the state, Congressman Butterfield authored more than 15 opinions on cases involving judicial sentencing procedures, eminent domain, and the application of capital punishment. Despite running an aggressive statewide campaign, Butterfield lost reelection to the Court in November Following that loss, he was reappointed to the Superior Court bench and resumed his duties as a trial judge.

His judicial service spanned a total of 15 years. InG. Butterfield retired from the bench to run in a special election to fill the unexpired term of Congressman Frank Ballance NC Congressman Butterfield won a crowded primary election to fill the seat, where he captured 71 percent of the vote. Upon taking office in JulyCongressman Butterfield was determined to be a strong advocate for the people in eastern North Carolina.

Chief Deputy Whips assist in the formulation of Democratic policy and ensure the passage of legislation by maintaining good communication with members. A strong supporter of civil rights, Butterfield advocated renewal of the Voting Rights Act and "introduced a g k butterfield biography of albert calling for the Capitol Visitor's Center to acknowledge the slave labor used to build the Capitol.

InButterfield introduced the Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act "to assist states in carrying out inspections of lodging facilities, train inspection personnel, contract with a commercial exterminator; educate owners and staff at lodging facilities. Butterfield supported the Affordable Care Actand worked with the Energy and Commerce Committee to help write the legislation.

Butterfield supports increasing taxes for higher-income families while decreasing taxes for middle- and low-income families. Wade a "sad day". Butterfield has repeatedly voted against defining marriage as being between one man and one woman, voting against the Marriage Protection Act of and constitutional marriage amendments in and He has voted to ban job discrimination based on sexual orientation, and in voted for the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell.

InButterfield introduced legislation that would require more input from the public before tolls are introduced on roads. The legislation was in response to the "No toll on I " group, a Roanoke Rapids-based group that opposes instating a toll on I Opponents of the toll argue that it leads to double taxation, and say it is the first time that "the federal government has put tolls on an existing interstate.

In AprilButterfield accompanied Obama to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to speak about extending the interest rates on federal loan programs for many undergraduate students. Butterfield expressed concern with the pending expiration, saying: "Allowing the current interest rates to expire would burden students with additional debt, prolong their ability to kick start their careers, and send the message that it is more important to cut taxes for the wealthy than educational expenses for our young people.

On July 23,Butterfield introduced House Joint Resolutionapproving the location of a memorial to commemorate the more than 5, slaves and free black persons who fought for independence in the American Revolution. Butterfield is married to Dr. Sylvia Chester Butterfield. He is also the father of Tunya Butterfield Smith. His four grandsons are Dahntay Jones Jr.

Butterfield Transportation Centerin his honor. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. American politician born Jean Farmer. Butterfield's voice. Butterfield speaks in support of legislation extending federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina Recorded November 1, Early life and education [ edit ].

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May 17, Retrieved August 23, United States House of Representatives.