Demetrius Newton
| Demetrius Newton | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Alabama House of Representatives from the 53rd district |
|
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In office 1987 – September 11, 2013 |
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| Succeeded by | Alann Johnson |
| Speaker pro tempore of the Alabama House | |
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In office 1998–2010 |
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| Succeeded by | Victor Gaston |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 15, 1928 Fairfield, Alabama |
| Died | September 11, 2013 (aged 85) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater |
Wilberforce University Boston University School of Law |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States Army |
| Service/branch | 325th Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division |
Demetrius Caiphus Newton (March 15, 1928 – September 11, 2013) was an American civil rights attorney and politician. He filed lawsuits to end desegregation, and represented Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and others in cases related to civil rights. He then served in the Alabama House of Representatives, representing the 53rd district, from 1986 to his death in 2013. He became the first Black speaker pro tempore in the history of the Alabama House, serving in the role from 1998 through 2010.
Newton was born in Fairfield, Alabama. He graduated from Fairfield Industrial High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wilberforce University and his Juris Doctor from the Boston University School of Law in 1952. The state of Alabama paid Newton to attend a law school outside of the state, in order to prevent having to desegregate the University of Alabama School of Law or create a law school for Blacks. At Boston University, Newton met Martin Luther King, Jr., who was enrolled as a seminary student at the time.
After he graduated from law school, Newton served in the United States Army's 325th Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division during the Korean War.
After his service in the military, Newton moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where he worked as a civil rights attorney. He became a member of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights and filed numerous lawsuits that were aimed at defeating segregationist laws. He represented King during the Selma to Montgomery marches. Newton also filed the first lawsuit under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He also worked on Rosa Parks' defense following her arrest for refusing to move from the "Whites Only" section of a bus.
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