Benjamin J. Davis Jr.

Benjamin Jefferson Davis Jr. (September 8, 1903 – August 22, 1964), was an African-American lawyer and communist who was elected in 1943 to the New York City Council, representing Harlem. He faced increasing opposition from outside Harlem after the end of World War II. In 1949 he was among a number of communist leaders prosecuted for violating the Smith Act. He was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison.

This article is about the American Communist leader. For other people with the same name, see Ben Davis (disambiguation).
Ben Davis
Davis in 1949
Member of the New York City Council At-large
In office
March 1, 1943 – December 31, 1949
Preceded byAdam Clayton Powell
Personal details
Born
Benjamin Jefferson Davis, Jr.

(1903-09-08)September 8, 1903
Dawson, Georgia
DiedAugust 22, 1964(1964-08-22) (aged 60)
New York City
NationalityAmerican
Political partyCommunist
EducationAmherst College (AB)
Harvard University (LLB)
OccupationLawyer, Activist, Politician
Known forSmith Act trials of Communist Party leaders
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.