Benjamin J. Davis, Jr.
| Ben Davis | |
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Benjamin Davis by Hugo Gellert
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| Born |
Benjamin Jefferson Davis, Jr. September 8, 1903 Dawson, Georgia |
| Died | August 22, 1964 (aged 60) New York City |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Benjamin Davis |
| Occupation | CPUSA politician |
| Years active | 1933–1964 |
| Known for | Smith Act trials of Communist Party leaders |
Benjamin Jefferson "Ben" Davis Jr. (September 8, 1903 – August 22, 1964), was an African-American lawyer and communist who was elected to the city council of New York City, representing Harlem, in 1943. He faced increasing opposition from outside Harlem after the end of World War II, and in 1951 was convicted of violating the Smith Act and sentenced to five years in prison.
Benjamin J. Davis Jr. – known to his friends as "Ben" – was born September 8, 1903, in Dawson, Georgia. The family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where Davis's father "Big Ben" Davis established a weekly black newspaper, the Atlanta Independent, which was successful enough to allow for a comfortable middle-class upbringing for the family. The elder Benjamin Davis emerged as a prominent black political leader and served as a member of the Republican National Committee for the state of Georgia.
Davis attended the high school program of Morehouse College in Atlanta, then pursued higher education at Amherst College, where he secured his B.A. degree. Davis continued his education at Harvard Law School, from which he graduated in 1929. Davis worked briefly as a journalist before starting a law practice in Atlanta in 1932.
Davis became radicalized through his role as defense attorney in the 1933 trial of Angelo Herndon, a 19-year-old black Communist who had been charged with violating a Georgia law against "attempting to incite insurrection" over Herndon's attempt to organize a farm workers' union. Davis asked the International Juridical Association to review his brief. During the trial, Davis faced angry, racist opposition from the judge and public, and became impressed with the rhetoric and bravery of Herndon and his colleagues. Upon concluding arguments, he joined the Communist Party himself.
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