Floyd McKissick Biography

Floyd McKissick

lawyer, civil rights leader
Born: 3/9/1922
Birthplace: Asheville, North Carolina

Upon graduating from Morehouse College, McKissick became the first Black person to study at North Carolina Law School. He opened a law practice in Durham, North Carolina in 1960. McKissick became an active civil rights worker, serving as national director of CORE, the Congress of Racial Equality, from 1966 to 1968. He moved CORE from a mainstream, pro-integration group into a militant organization supporting Black power. After he left CORE, McKissick helped create Soul City, a Black town in rural North Carolina. He was pastor of the First Baptist Church in Soul City when he died.

Died: 4/28/1991