Law Professor Writes Book About Civil Rights Warrior

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Professor Judith Kilpatrick, University of Arkansas School of Law, will give a presentation about Wiley Branton and also sign copies of her recently released book, There When We Needed Him. The book tells the story of Wiley Branton, a civil rights activist who represented the Little Rock Nine and was one of the School of Law’s Six Pioneers, its first African-American graduates.

Kilpatrick will be signing copies of the book at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, at Borders in the Pinnacle Hills Promenade. At 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, she will give a presentation in the Law School’s E.J. Ball Courtroom about Branton and his lifelong efforts to bring equality and justice to African Americans. After the presentation, she will be available to sign books.

Branton was the fifth African American to be admitted to the Law School and the third to graduate, in 1953. He practiced law in Pine Bluff and served as counsel with Thurgood Marshall for the Little Rock Nine in their 1957 efforts to integrate Central High School.

Under Branton’s leadership of the Atlanta-based Voter Education Project, more than 600,000 black voters were registered from 1962 to 1965. President Lyndon Johnson named him executive secretary of the Council on Equal Opportunity, and he served as special assistant to Attorneys General Nicholas Katzenbach and Ramsey Clark, during which period he helped with implementation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Branton provided leadership to the United Planning Organization, the Alliance for Labor Action and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He became the dean of Howard University Law School in 1978 and served until 1983. In all these positions, Branton pursued a vision of opening doors for African Americans and other minorities to the mainstream of American life. 

“He was particularly proud of his work at Howard,” Kilpatrick said. “He successfully worked toward returning the school to its original mission of training civil rights lawyers.”

Kilpatrick, the associate dean for diversity, planning and special projects at the School of Law, has written several articles about Branton. 

“I feel honored to have written this biography,” Kilpatrick said. “Branton’s is a story for everyone who cares about justice and civil rights, not just African Americans. He is a role model for the positive effect a determined person can have on society.”