Russell Sugarmon
| Judge Russell B. Sugarmon, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from the 10th district | |
| In office 1967–1969 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Russell Bertram Sugarmon, Jr. May 11, 1929 Memphis, Tennessee |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Spouse(s) | Mariam DeCosta (divorced) Regina Spence |
| Children | Tarik Sugarmon Elena Sugarmon Erika Sugarmon Monique Sugarmon Tina Sugarmon Carol Sugarmon |
| Alma mater | Morehouse College Rutgers University Harvard Law School Boston University |
| Occupation | Attorney Judge |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | U.S. Army |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit | Adjutant General Corps |
Russell Bertram Sugarmon, Jr.[1] (born May 11, 1929), is an American politician and judge in the state of Tennessee.
Early life
Sugarmon was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Russell and Lessye Hank Sugarmon.[1] He grew up in South Memphis and attended Co-Operative Gammar School.[1]
In 1946, Sugarmon graduated from Booker T. Washington High School when he was 15 years old.[1]
Sugarman attended Morehouse College for one year. He received an A.B. in Political Science from Rutgers University in 1950. In 1953 he received a law degree Harvard Law School and attended Boston University's Graduate School of Finance.[1]
Career
He practiced as an attorney in Memphis, Tennessee in the firm Ratner, Sugarmon, Lucas, Willis and Caldwell.[2][3][4][5]
In 1959, Russell Sugarmon became the first African-American in Memphis to run for a major city office when he ran for Public Works Commissioner.[6] The campaign against Commission Henry Loeb was notable: Loeb called for a "white unity" electoral ticket to oppose the increasingly organized black vote in Memphis. Loeb said "a lot of good white men" might suffer if Sugarmon got elected as a commissioner of Public Works.[7]
Sugarmon served in the Tennessee House of Representatives as a Democrat from the 11th District from 1967 to 1969.[8]
Personal life
Sugarmon's son, Tarik B. Sugarmon, is a Memphis City Court judge who in 2014 ran for Memphis-Shelby County Juvenile Court.[9]
See also
Works and publications
- Sugarmon, Russell B, and Hans-Thomas Ryan. Russell B. Sugarmon, Jr., Papers, 1959-1976: guide to the Papers. Memphis: Memphis State University, 1977. See also: Mississippi Valley Collection, Memphis State University.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 DeCosta-Willis, Miriam (2008). Notable Black Memphians: Sugarmon, Russell Bertram, Jr. Amherst, N.Y.: Cambria Press. pp. 295–297. ISBN 9781624990939. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ "Hon. Russell B. Sugarmon". The History of LawMakers: The Nation's Largest African American Video Oral History Collection. HistoryMakers. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ "Public Collections: Russell B. Sugarmon Collection". Crossroads to Freedom. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ "Judge Russell B. Sugarmon, Jr.". The History of LawMakers: The Nation's Largest African American Video Oral History Collection. HistoryMakers. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ "The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Judge Russell B. Sugarmon, Jr." (Finding Aid). The History of LawMakers: The Nation's Largest African American Video Oral History Collection. HistoryMakers. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ Cohen, Hon. Steve (16 January 2014). "Congratulating Judge Russell B. Sugarmon, Jr. on Receiving the 2014 Be the Dream MLK Legacy Award -- Hon. Steve Cohen (Extensions of Remarks - January 16, 2014)". Congressional Record 113th Congress (2013-2014). Library of Congress. p. E84. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ Honey, Michael K. (2007). Going Down Jericho Road : the Memphis strike, Martin Luther King's last campaign (1. ed. ed.). New York [u.a.]: Norton. pp. 30–32. ISBN 9780393043396. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ "Tennessee House Representative 85th General Assembly: R.B. Sugarmon, Jr.". House Archives 1870 to Present. Tennessee General Assembly. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ Dries, Bill (24 March 2014). "Sugarmon Opens Campaign for Juvenile Court Judge". Memphis Daily News. Retrieved 6 May 2014.