Английская Википедия:Charles A. Pratt

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Charles A. Pratt (April 2, 1909 – March 21, 1989) was an American judge.[1] He was the first Black judge in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, first elected in 1968 to the newly created 8th District Court.[1]

Early life and education

Файл:Charles A. Pratt 1928.jpg
Pratt's Kalamazoo Central High School yearbook photo, 1928

Pratt was born on April 2, 1909, to Otis and Lydia Pratt in Kalamazoo, Michigan.[1][2] He attended Kalamazoo Central High School and graduated in 1928.[1] Pratt attended Howard University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1932 and his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1935.[1][3] He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Kalamazoo College.[3]

Career

Private practice

Pratt opened a law practice in Kalamazoo after failing to join a larger firm.[1] He recounted in a speech: "One lawyer told me that now the colored people had a lawyer of their own. I told him that I was not a lawyer for the colored people, but for all the people. That I was a Negro but did not want to be restricted because of that fact."[2]

He practiced law as an attorney from 1935 to 1968, except for the five years he served during World War II.[3]

Military service

During World War II, Pratt was called to active duty as a member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the U.S. Army.[1] He also served in the army's 366th Infantry Regiment that fought in North Africa and Italy.[3]

8th District Court Judge

In 1968, Pratt became the first black judge elected in Kalamazoo County.[1] He retired from the bench in 1980 due to a state law restricting the age of judges.[1]

Board memberships

He served on several local boards.

  • Douglass Community Association[1]
  • Kalamazoo YMCA[1]
  • Kalamazoo County Bar Association[1]
  • County Legal Aid Bureau[3]
  • Kalamazoo Child Guidance Clinic[3]
  • Council of Social Agencies[3]
  • Kalamazoo N.A.A.C.P.[3]
  • Kalamazoo Lions Club[3]
  • Kalamazoo Torch Club[3]
  • Kalamazoo Visiting Nurse Association[3]
  • Youth Opportunities Unlimited[3]
  • Senior Service, Inc[3]
  • Citizens Association of Kalamazoo State Hospital[3]
  • The Family Service Center[3]
  • Goodwill Industries[3]
  • Advisory Board of WMUK[3]
  • Community Services Council[3]
  • Greater Kalamazoo United Way[3]
  • Council of Human Relations[3]
  • Kalamazoo Valley Community College Foundation Board[3]

Personal life and death

Pratt married Thema Lenox, they had four children Charles Pratt Jr., Helen Mickens, James Pratt, and Sonya Terburg.[2]

Pratt died in 1989 and was buried at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Kalamazoo.[1]

Legacy

In October 2010, a group of African-American judges and lawyers from Kalamazoo and Calhoun County, Michigan voted to establish the Charles A. Pratt Bar Association, first minority bar association in their counties.[2] The association focuses on providing legal education in the Kalamazoo community and resources for attorneys of color.[2]

In September 2023, members of the Kalamazoo County Bar Association petitioned the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners to rename an incoming justice center in downtown Kalamazoo in honor of Pratt.[4] The board voted to approve the renaming of the building to the "Judge Charles A. Pratt Justice Center" in October.[5] The building opened on December 11, 2023, replacing the Michigan Avenue Courthouse constructed in 1937.[6][7]

References

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  1. ↑ 1,00 1,01 1,02 1,03 1,04 1,05 1,06 1,07 1,08 1,09 1,10 1,11 1,12 Шаблон:Cite web
  2. ↑ 2,0 2,1 2,2 2,3 2,4 Шаблон:Cite journal
  3. ↑ 3,00 3,01 3,02 3,03 3,04 3,05 3,06 3,07 3,08 3,09 3,10 3,11 3,12 3,13 3,14 3,15 3,16 3,17 3,18 3,19 3,20 Шаблон:Cite web
  4. ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
  5. ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
  6. ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
  7. ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
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