Supreme Court Rules Courtesy Titles for Negroes in Southern Courtrooms

Press Release
April 3, 1964

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Press Releases, Volume 1. Supreme Court Rules Courtesy Titles for Negroes in Southern Courtrooms, 1964. 040ccdd9-b492-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/8d0ad33a-5c31-4262-b47b-10013041ebef/supreme-court-rules-courtesy-titles-for-negroes-in-southern-courtrooms. Accessed July 30, 2025.

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    PRESS RELEASE 55 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND 
10 COLUMBUS CIRCLE *« NEW YORK, N. Y. 10019 © JUdson 6-8397 

DR. ALLAN KNIGHT CHALMERS JACK GREENBERG CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY 
President Director-Counsel Associate Counsel 

oa 

SUPREME COURT RULES COURTESY TITLES 
FOR NEGROES IN SOUTHERN COURTROOMS 

April 3, 1964 

WASHINGTON, D.C.--The U.S. Supreme Court this week struck down a long 
standing southern courtroom tradition: the addressimg of Negroes by 
their first names, 

The high court upheld the objections of Mary Hamilton, Congress of 
Racial Equality field worker, who was represented by attorneys of the 
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. 

Jack Greenberg, director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, 
which won the high court ruling, expressed “extreme pleasure" on 
learping of the ruling. 

"This assures that southern judicial proceedings will be conducted 
with dignity and without racial insult. 

"This is another milestone in procuring equal justice under law for 
all Americans," he said, 

Mary Hamilton, CORE field secretary, was defendant in this case, 
which should have far reaching effects toward better treatment and 
zespect for Negroes in southern courts, 

Miss Hamilton appeared in an Alabama courtroom last June to answer 
charges growing out of demonstrations against racial discrimination, 

The southern white solicitor, William Rayburn, addressed all Negro 
petitioners by their first names. Courtesy titles, such as "Miss," 
‘Mrs.," "Mr," were used for white persons. 

The incident erupted when the solicitor began cross-examining Miss 
Hamilton and asked her name, 

"Miss Mary Hamilton," she replied. 

The solicitor then addressed her as "Mary." 

"Please address me correctly," Miss Hamilton answered. 

The white lawyer ignored this request, and pressed his question, 
ending with "Mary." Miss Hamilton repeated her refusal to answer 
"until I am addressed correctly." 

At this point, Norman Amaker, NAACP Legal Defense Fund assistant 
counsel, raised objections, pointing out that “her name is Miss 
Hamilton." 

The judge ordered her to answer the question and when she refused 
until addressed correctly she was instantly sentenced to five days in 
jail plus a fifty dollar fine. 

Legal Defense attorneys appealed the case to the Alabama Supreme 
Court, which upheld the lower court, From there they moved to the 
U.S. Supreme Court, which acted. 

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Supreme Court Rules Courtesy Titles for Negroes in Southern Courtrooms

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