THE TRAILBLAZERS
Justice Thurgood Marshall. Judge Constance Baker Motley. Vice President Kamala Harris.
Before these attorneys became the "firsts," they had to break barriers. And because they opened the doors, generations may follow in their footsteps.
Index
George H. Starke, Jr.: The first Black student admitted to the University of Florida
Hazel M. Land: The first Black woman to graduate from the University of Florida College of Law
Elliot O.P. Jackson: The first Black man to earn an LL.M. in Fashion Law
Aramis Ayala: The first Black State Attorney in the State of Florida
George H. Starke, Jr.
The first Black student admitted to the University of Florida
Florida higher education was desegregated beginning with the flagship university: the University of Florida (UF). After legal challenges brought by Virgil Hawkins, and built on United States Supreme Court precedent, UF desegregated by admitting a Morehouse College graduate and veteran: George Starke. Though Starke never graduated due to racial tensions of the time, he was awarded an honorary law degree in 2019.
After graduating from Morehouse and serving in the United States Air Force, Mr. Starke knew he wanted to go to law school. In this clip, he discusses how he chose a school.
Being the "first" means you are also the "only." In this clip, Mr. Starke reflects on what it meant to be the first Black student and the feelings he has carried since his experience at UF.
Hazel M. Land
The first Black woman to graduate from the University of Florida College of Law
Hazel Land is a Florida native, calling Brooksville her home. Raised during Jim Crow segregation, her upbringing influenced her career choices and leadership opportunities. After graduating from Tuskegee University, Ms. Land served in the Peace Corps in the Philippines and Nigeria. Ms. Land returned to the United States to become a pioneer with the NAACP. After serving on two state boards for the organization, Ms. Land decided to serve her community further by going to law school. In 1973, Ms. Land made history as the first Black woman to graduate from UF Law.
During her work expanding and serving with the NAACP, Ms. Land began to realize a law degree would help her further serve the Black community. In this clip, Ms. Land explains how she decided to become an attorney.
Even though Ms. Land was the first Black woman to graduate, she saw more Black law students join the College as she matriculated through school. However, she did face isolation being the only Black woman in her class. In this clip, Ms. Land explains how she was never invited to study with her peers and how she relied on her faith to get through law school.
Elliot O.P. Jackson
The first Black man to earn an
LL.M. in Fashion Law
When Elliot Jackson was in college, he thought he would become a doctor. While at Fayetteville State University, Elliot immersed himself in science courses, eventually earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Forensic Science. However, his career trajectory changed when, to finish his degree, he had to analyze a crime scene. Mr. Jackson is a double-HBCU graduate, earning his law degree from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University College of Law. After graduating near the top of his class, Mr. Jackson then went on to earn an advanced law degree, an LL.M., in Fashion Law from Fordham University School of Law.
Our earliest memories can sometimes serve as parables for our lives. In this clip Mr. Jackson ties his earliest memory to his advice for aspiring lawyers.
In this clip, Mr. Jackson recites God's Minute. In the book Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Speaks: Representative Speeches of a Great American Orator, Dr. Mays recited this poem as a eulogy and attributes the poem to an anonymous author. The poem reads:
I've only just a minute,
Only sixty seconds in it.
Forced upon me, can't refuse it,
Didn't seek it, didn't choose it,
But it's up to me to use it.
I must suffer if I lose it,
Give an account if I abuse it,
Just a tiny little minute,
But eternity is in it.
During his interview, Mr. Jackson stated, "I had no other destination but success." In this clip, Mr. Jackson explains his goals for leaving his mark in the legal field.
The Honorable Zebedee Wright
The first Black student to graduate from Florida State University College of Law
Retired Judge Zebedee Wright was raised by his grandmother, who was a migrant farmworker. Once, when his family moved North to New York for his grandmother's work, Judge Wright saw a Black family living in a big house with a white picket fence. After realizing he could become like the family in that house, Judge Wright decided he needed to get an education. Judge Wright dedicated himself to education and serving the community. Graduating from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, Judge Wright first taught and served in the military. After serving in the military, he became the first graduate of Florida State University College of Law.
Editor's Note: This recording contains a few curse words. Listener discretion is advised.
Judge Wright grew up in a migrant farmworker household. In this clip he explains why he chose to focus on education when he was young.
Judge Wright was the first Black student to graduate from Florida State University College of Law. At the time, Judge Wright could have chosen to go out of state or to the University of Florida for law school. Judge Wright was friends with W. George Allen: the first Black person to graduate from the University of Florida through the law school. In this clip, Judge Wright reflects on his decision to go to Florida State University and mentions how W. George Allen factored into Judge Wright's decision-making.
Aramis Ayala
The first Black State Attorney in the State of Florida
In Florida, each judicial circuit has a prosecution and public defense office to form the foundation of the criminal legal system. The prosecutor offices are headed by elected State Attorneys.
Aramis Ayala is the first Black person to be elected State Attorney in Florida.
Ayala served as the State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit, being elected in 2016 and serving from 2017 through 2021.
Throughout her career, Ayala has defined what justice looks like in the criminal legal system. In this clip, she explains one way to conceptualize justice while also providing encouragement for future and young attorneys.
Aramis Ayala was the first Black State Attorney in Florida. Since her election, two others have been elected: Ayala's successor, Monique Worrell, and Harold Pryor. In this clip, Ayala provides her reflection on running for office and advice for others contemplating running.