Nixon, Lawrence A. (Lawrence Aaron), 1884-1966

Title:

Nixon, Lawrence A. (Lawrence Aaron), 1884-1966

Description:

Bio: Lawrence Aaron Nixon (1884-1966) was a physician and voting-rights activist from El Paso, Texas. In 1923, the Texas legislature passed a law prohibiting blacks from voting in Democratic primaries. In July 1924, with the sponsorship of the NAACP, Nixon tried to vote in the Texas Democratic primary but was refused a ballot. Over the next twenty years from 1924 to 1933, he took his voting rights case to the U.S. Supreme Court, with the cases Nixon v. Herndon and Nixon v. Condon. The Court ruled for Nixon in both cases, but it was not until 1944 that the white primary was ended and Dr. Nixon was able to vote in a Democratic primary.

Relation:

LBJ Connection: Physician and voting-rights activist from El Paso, Texas