Civil rights lawyer who defended Wilmington Ten dead at 82
CHARLOTTE (WSOC) — CHARLOTTE — James Ferguson II, a prominent civil rights lawyer from Charlotte known for his role in desegregating schools nationwide, has passed away at the age of 82.
Ferguson, who co-founded North Carolina’s first interracial law firm, was instrumental in the landmark Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education case, which led to the use of busing to integrate schools across the United States.
Ferguson also defended the Wilmington 10, a group wrongfully convicted of arson and conspiracy following school desegregation riots in 1971.
Their sentences were commuted after nearly a decade, and they were officially pardoned in 2012.
Additionally, Ferguson utilized North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act to successfully reduce the death penalty sentences of four defendants, highlighting his ongoing commitment to racial justice.
