John R. Clifford
In the same year that Plessy v. Ferguson was de-
cided, John R. Clifford, West Virginia’s rst black lawyer, led the rst legal challenge to segregated schools in West Virginia. Clifford represented a black parent from Mingo County, who, because there was no school for black students in his rural commu-
nity, asked that his children be allowed to attend a local white school. He lost the case in Martin v. Board of Education, and, as a result, the concept of segregated schools was upheld. He lost the case in Martin v. Board of Education, and, as a result, the concept of segregated schools was upheld. However, in 1898,
Clifford won a civil rights case when he argued suc- cessfully before the West Virginia Supreme Court that a black teacher in Tucker County, Mrs. Carrie
Williams, was not treated equally when she was paid to teach black students ve months a year while her white colleagues were paid to teach white students eight months. The state supreme court ruled that the pay and school terms
must be the same for blacks and for whites.
cided, John R. Clifford, West Virginia’s rst black lawyer, led the rst legal challenge to segregated schools in West Virginia. Clifford represented a black parent from Mingo County, who, because there was no school for black students in his rural commu-
nity, asked that his children be allowed to attend a local white school. He lost the case in Martin v. Board of Education, and, as a result, the concept of segregated schools was upheld. He lost the case in Martin v. Board of Education, and, as a result, the concept of segregated schools was upheld. However, in 1898,
Clifford won a civil rights case when he argued suc- cessfully before the West Virginia Supreme Court that a black teacher in Tucker County, Mrs. Carrie
Williams, was not treated equally when she was paid to teach black students ve months a year while her white colleagues were paid to teach white students eight months. The state supreme court ruled that the pay and school terms
must be the same for blacks and for whites.