Judge With a Passion For Civil Rights

Norman Rockwell’s painting of six year-old Ruby Bridges being escorted into a New Orleans school in 1960

January 14, 1911 — President John F. Kennedy’s attributes included his intelligence and his association with the great minds of his era. One of these was professor of law J. Skelly Wright who was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on this day.

As a district judge during the 1950s Wright forced the desegregation of public schools in New Orleans, as well as the city's public transportation system. He also ordered desegregation of Louisiana State University's Law School.

His passion for civil rights is said to have started when he saw blind black and white people segregated at a party.

Born as James Skelly Wright, he graduated from Loyola University in New Orleans in 1931 and earned a law degree in 1934. He became an assistant US attorney in New Orleans in 1937. In 1948, President Truman named him US attorney in New Orleans and a year later appointed him to the federal district court.

Wright's 13 years at the district court were controversial. Most notably, in 1956 he granted a request by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to desegregate the New Orleans public schools. His decision was met with resistance by virtually every public official in Louisiana.

It made him many enemies amongst the predominantly white political and business culture of New Orleans to the extent that his entire family was soon ostracised and isolated from much of the city's society life.

But Wright was a man of principle and was to declare later: "I want to do what's right. When I get a case, I look at it and the first thing I think of automatically is what's right, what should be done – and then you look at the law to see whether or not you can do it. I am less patient than other judges with law that won't permit what I conceive to be fair."

When, in 1962, President Kennedy announced he intended to appoint Wright to the Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit, based in New Orleans, many Southern senators, who described the judge as “Judas Wright”, rose in opposition. Feelings were so strong that Kennedy instead appointed Wright to the Court of Appeal for the District of Columbia Circuit.

According to encyclopedia.com, by the time of his appointment in 1962, Wright had issued 41 rulings and had injunctions in force against the Louisiana Governor, the Attorney General, the Superintendent of Education, the state police, the National Guard, all district attorneys, all sheriffs, all mayors, all police chiefs, and the state legislature.

In 1980, William J. Brennan, a US Supreme Court judge, wrote: “J. Skelly Wright was a remarkable man. The brilliant achievements he crowded one upon another in almost forty years on the Federal Bench richly earned him his national reputation as one of the outstanding jurists in the nation’s history.

“His lasting impact in shaping the development of the law of civil rights and liberties has vastly enriched us all [even though] some of his most notable decisions were greeted with harsh and bitter invective.”

Brennan also described Wright as "a quiet, modest man, more embarrassed than happy with praise."

This was demonstrated when the time came for the Judge's "hanging" – a term used affectionately for the presentation of a judge's portrait to the full court on which he has served. Typically, a judge's remarks on such occasions can be lengthy. But Judge Wright said simply:

"First, I can express my appreciation for all the kind words and the kind thoughts. These are my friends speaking for me, and I appreciate their doing so.

"But since they are so eloquent and since I am less so, even though I had a few remarks prepared to make, I decided to quit when I was ahead. Which is right now. Thank you very much."

J. Skelly Wright died in August, 1988, aged 77.

Published: December 5, 2022
Updated: February 24, 2024