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 09, 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. = 90 =