The Honorable Matthew J. Perry, Jr. Oral History Interview

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

The oral history consists of three digital files: 2011.174.24.1a, 2011.174.24.1b, and 2011.174.24.1c. The Hon. Matthew J. Perry, Jr. [August 3, 1921-July 29, 2011] (At the time of the interview, he was still hearing cases for the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, after taking senior status in 1995.) recalls serving in the military during World War II, and experiencing discrimination during the war. He remembers watching a trial that inspired him to go to the newly formed law school at South Carolina State College. He discusses his start as a trial lawyer in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the famous civil rights cases he argued, joining the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and his admiration for the African American lawyers who mentored him.

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