Justice Hugo L. Black, a Democrat, served on the Supreme Court from 1937 to 1971, one of the longest tenures in the Court’s history. Born in Ashland, Alabama, in 1886, Black practiced law and served as a U.S. Senator before his appointment by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Supreme Court Tenure
Black was a staunch advocate for civil liberties and took an absolutist view of the First Amendment, arguing for robust protections of free speech and freedom of the press. He was instrumental in cases such as Everson v. Board of Education (1947), which applied the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to state governments.
Despite controversy over his past membership in the Ku Klux Klan, Black became a champion of equality and civil rights, supporting decisions like Brown v. Board of Education (1954).
Legacy
Black’s textualist approach to constitutional interpretation and his unwavering defense of individual freedoms have left an indelible mark on American jurisprudence.
