Henry Frye: First African-American on the N.C. Supreme Court

Henry Frye being sworn into the N.C. Supreme Court. This is image is in State Archives, courtesy of the News & Observer

On February 3, 1983, Henry Frye was sworn in as North Carolina’s first African-American Supreme Court Justice. Governor Jim Hunt appointed Frye as an associate justice. Then, in 1999, in another first, Hunt named Frye to the unexpired term of retiring Chief Justice Burley Mitchell. After Frye lost his bid for a full term as chief justice in 2000, he retired, having served on the state’s top tribunal for more than 17 years.

Frye has led a remarkable life. Born the son of a Richmond County farmer in August 1932, he graduated with top honors from North Carolina A&T State University and became a U.S. Air Force captain. Despite his education and service, he was told he had failed the required literacy test when he returned home and attempted to register to vote in 1956. The experience inspired him to become a lawyer.

In 1968, Frye became the first African American elected to the North Carolina General Assembly in the twentieth century. The first bill he introduced was a constitutional amendment abolishing the literacy test. Frye eventually served six terms in the state House and one term in the state senate before he began his judicial career.

Other related resources:

• The Civil Rights Movement on NCpedia
• Celebrate Black History! from the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources
• A Change is Gonna Come, an online exhbit from the N.C. Museum of History
• A History of African Americans in North Carolina from N.C. Historical Publications
• Images related to civil rights and Henry Frye from the State Archives
• Resources related to black history from the State Library

For more about North Carolina’s history, arts and culture, visit Cultural Resources online. To receive these updates automatically each day, make sure you subscribe by email using the box on the right, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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