Carolina Snaps
Honorable Matthew James Perry, Jr.
Season 5 Episode 5 | 59sVideo has Closed Captions
Hon. Matthew James Perry, Jr is known for landmark civil rights cases.
Honorable Matthew James Perry, Jr. was a trailblazing civil rights attorney and the first African American federal judge in South Carolina. Appointed to the U.S. District Court in 1979, he dedicated his life to justice. His fight against racial injustices led to landmark civil rights cases, including the integration of Clemson University with the first African American student, Harvey Gantt.
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Carolina Snaps is a local public television program presented by SCETV
Support for this program is provided by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.
Carolina Snaps
Honorable Matthew James Perry, Jr.
Season 5 Episode 5 | 59sVideo has Closed Captions
Honorable Matthew James Perry, Jr. was a trailblazing civil rights attorney and the first African American federal judge in South Carolina. Appointed to the U.S. District Court in 1979, he dedicated his life to justice. His fight against racial injustices led to landmark civil rights cases, including the integration of Clemson University with the first African American student, Harvey Gantt.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipDid you know Matthew Perry was a civil rights attorney and later became the first African American federal judge in South Carolina?
Matthew Perry was appointed to a position on the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina in 1979.
Perry started college to study business, but he would have to leave school to serve in the United States Army during World War II.
He finished college after the war receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree from South Carolina State University in 1948.
Perry concluded that he needed to learn and practice law due to a growing awareness of racial injustice by state laws.
Perry led many landmark civil rights cases.
His most prominent case resulted in an interrogation of Clemson University, with Harvey Gantt becoming the first black student.
In 2005, a new federal courthouse in Columbia, SC was named after him.
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Carolina Snaps is a local public television program presented by SCETV
Support for this program is provided by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.