Jesse Mccray Jr. Collection Location: AC.3.A.1.3.1 - AC.3.A.1.3.5 Jesse J. McCrary Jr. (1937–2007) was a pioneering lawyer, civil rights activist, and public official from Florida. Born in Blitchton, Florida, he earned his law degree from Florida A&M University, where he was also active in organizing civil rights sit-ins. In 1978, McCrary made history when he was appointed Florida’s Secretary of State, becoming the first African American to hold a Florida Cabinet position since Reconstruction. He also broke barriers as one of the first Black attorneys from a southern state to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Throughout his career, McCrary was a strong advocate for civil rights and equality, leaving a lasting legacy as a trailblazer in law and public service in Florida. https://myfloridahistory.org/date-in-history/july-19-1978/jesse-j-mccrary-jr text Unprocessed http://meba.famu.edu/jesse-mccray-jr-collection MS_0057 eng All rights reserved. The use of any part of these objects and photographs transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system without the prior written consent of Meek-Eaton Black Archives is an infringement of the copyright law.