Born: 24 November 1916, United States
Died: 12 January 2018
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Marie Frankie Muse
The following is republished from the National Park Service. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
Born in Danville, Virginia in 1916, Frankie Muse Freeman’s career in the legal system spans 56 years. Lesser known than some of the national civil rights leaders, she took her own protests to the American courtrooms, arguing against racial discrimination and “Jim Crow” laws. But her presence in the courtroom and in state laws continues to resonate with us. The cases she won are a permanent part of our daily rights as American citizens, including the right to receive an equal education in St. Louis and to live where we choose. Frankie Freeman also stands apart as one of the few black women to have a major role in civil rights litigation. Two United States presidents recognized her trailblazing efforts and appointed her to serve in national positions. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed her to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights – the first woman to the hold job.