The Life of Elreta Melton Alexander: Activism within the Courts

Elreta Melton Alexander Ralston (1919–98) was the first African American woman to graduate from Columbia Law School, practice law in North Carolina, and become an elected district court judge. Her life and career deserve recognition for her accomplishments during the civil rights movement in the U.S. South, as she used her professional achievements and middle-class status to advocate for individuals who lacked a voice in the southern legal system.

Format: Hardback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 01 May 2022
Publisher: University of Georgia Press

This book delves into the life and achievements of Elreta Melton Alexander Ralston (1919-1998), a groundbreaking attorney who made significant contributions to the legal profession and civil rights movement in the United States. Alexander's journey began in 1945 when she became the first African American woman to graduate from Columbia Law School. She then went on to become the first African American woman to practice law in North Carolina in 1947 and the first African American woman to be elected as a district court judge in 1968. Despite her numerous "firsts," Alexander remains relatively unknown outside of her hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina. However, her life and career deserve recognition for her significant contributions to the legal field and her role in the civil rights movement. While Alexander did not actively participate in civil rights marches and demonstrations, she used her professional achievements and middle-class status to advocate for individuals who lacked a voice in the southern legal system. Her legal expertise and ability to reach across racial boundaries made her an important figure in Greensboro history. Virginia L. Summey, a historian, argues that Alexander was integral to the civil rights movement in North Carolina as she, and women like her, worked to change discriminatory laws while opening professional doors for other minority women. Using her professional status, Alexander combatted segregation by demonstrating that Black women were worthy and capable of achieving careers alongside white men, thereby creating environments in which other African Americans could succeed. Her legal expertise and ability to reach across racial boundaries made her an important figure in Greensboro history.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780820361925