Groups to mark 75th anniversary of federal ruling that allowed Black man to attend UVA law

For much of Virginia’s history, the law required separation of races in almost all aspects of everyday life. The Civil Rights movement challenged rules that segregated people by color.

One key milestone was in 1950 when a Black man successfully won a legal fight to attend the University of Virginia School of Law.

“The Gregory Swanson case, which was decided on September 5, 1950, is the case in which the United States federal court sitting here in Charlottesville entered an order against the Board of Visitors at the University of Virginia requiring UVA to admit Gregory Swanson to the law school,” said Jim Hingeley, Albemarle County’s Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Swanson had been denied admission due to his race and he fought that decision in court. Hingeley said this is a landmark case that had both local and national impacts.

“This was the first court order that resulted in the admission of an African American to a segregated white institution in all of the South,” Hingeley said.

The Jefferson Madison Regional Library will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ruling on September 5 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m at the Central Library. Albemarle County is one of the partner organizations behind the event. Learn more on the JMRL calendar.

“And it will take place in the actual courthouse where this decision was rendered, in the actual court room where it was rendered,” Hingeley said.

The room is now named after Gregory Swanson.

Speakers scheduled for the event include Representative Jennifer McClellan, University of Virginia Law School Dean Leslie Kendrick, U.S. District Judge Jasmine Yoon, Derek Collins (President of the Black Law Students Association at UVA) and Albemarle Charlottesville NAACP President Lynn Boyd.

Other parents are the University of Virginia Law Library, the City of Charlottesville, the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, the Albemarle-Charlottesville NAACP, the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, University of Virginia Black Law Students Association and the Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association.

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