G.K. Butterfield Oral History
Born in Wilson, North Carolina, G.K. Butterfield studied at North Carolina Central University School of Law before starting a law firm in his hometown. His collaboration with LDF began after he contacted the organization regarding voter suppression in his county. He would eventually assist with LDF’s Supreme Court case Thornburg v. Gingles, which tested the 1982 extension of the Voting Rights Act. In addition to championing voting rights, he has served on the Superior Court for the First Judicial Division and on the North Carolina Supreme Court. While representing North Carolina’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, he served as the House Democratic Senior Chief Deputy Whip.
Highlighted excerpt:
G.K. Butterfield recalls the impact of the Thornburg v. Gingles case
Cite this item:
G.K. Butterfield interview for the Legal Defense Fund Oral History Project. Interviewed by Melody Hunter-Pillion on May 15, 2023 in Wilson, North Carolina. Conducted in collaboration with the Southern Oral History Program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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