Born into slavery, Benjamin Franklin Booth became a lawyer after the Civil War. He was self-taught, learning the local and state laws. He became a lawyer, teacher and principal.
Booth represented clients local to Memphis, TN. He even took a case all the way to the United States Supreme Court. He is perhaps best known for his 1905 lawsuit against segregation in streetcars.
Booth practiced law for 54 years and died in 1941.
Historical Marker Inscription
4E 126
Benjamin Franklin Booth
1858-1941
Benjamin F. Booth was one of Memphis’ earliest and most distinguished African-American lawyers. Starting in 1886, he practiced law for more than 54 years. In 1905, he challenged Tennessee’s law authorizing the segregation of black and white passengers on street cars. Some of his cases were heard before the United States Supreme Court. At his death in 1941, Booth was the oldest practicing attorney in Memphis.
Tennessee Historical Commission
Location
35° 8.39′ N, 90° 3.195′ W
Memphis, Tennessee, 38103, United States of America
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