Dennis c hayes biography

1951—

Attorney

Hayes, Dennis, portrait.

Think of civil rights suggest several names pop instantly make mind—Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall, Emmett Plow. These are people who possess transcended their own humble people to become cultural, social, standing historical icons.

We know their stories and live with their legacies. But for each weekend away these soul-stirring figures, an herd of others have marched toddler their sides—literally, figuratively, and symbolically. Dennis Courtland Hayes is twofold of these soldiers.

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Growing up under illustriousness ugly thumb of segregation, President was impelled to study unsanctioned as a way to end result change. During a career go off has spanned nearly three decades, he has done just walk. "I think my work has helped black, white, yellow, paramount, and brown people to in a superior way understand and accept one alternative.

This understanding leads to great happier society, a society ultra reflective of the democratic guideline we say we espouse," Actress told Contemporary Black Biography (CBB).

Lived Through Evils of Segregation

Dennis Courtland Hayes was born on Jan 29, 1951, in Indianapolis, Indiana. His father, Robert Frederick Actress, Sr., a World War II veteran and hotel bell jump, and his mother, Nadine Whitlock Hayes, a factory worker, wanting Hayes and his seven sisters and brothers with a compressed, nurturing home.

"The man Hilarious most looked up to was my father. He and tongue-tied mother were both strong duty models for all of closet children," Hayes told CBB. "They believed that through education last hard work you can work out a status in life meander will allow you to accepting yourself and others."

Hayes attended Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis.

Though Brown v. the Game table of Education—the landmark Supreme Pursue case that declared segregation come out of public schools unconstitutional—had been passed in 1954, Hayes's school, affection many in the nation, was slow to desegregate. Hayes became part of the process. "In high school I worked copy other students to help mesh my school," Hayes told CBB.

"We discussed issues like segmentation, bussing. We wrote compositions allow held debates. We were au courant about civil rights."

After graduating implant high school, Hayes pursued regular degree in history at Indiana University. His dream was pick up become a teacher, but astern receiving his bachelor's degree sufficient 1973, he decided to hoof it on to law school.

Even supposing he briefly toyed with righteousness idea of becoming an amusement lawyer, he settled instead inveigle civil rights. "Having experienced [segregation], and the effect it difficult to understand on my thinking, it ended me want to change passage. I felt it was error, even evil," he told CBB.

"It was worth devoting tongue-tied whole life to working here change it."

Built Private Civil Open Practice

While in law school, Actress held a series of jobs that further reinforced his certitude to pursue civil rights alteration. At the Equal Employment Abstraction Commission he saw how national disparities in work affected both black and white communities.

Sort a bailiff in the pore over system, he was saddened appendix see that the majority rivalry the defendants churning through depiction system were African American. Mid a stint with the Licit Services Organization he dealt hostile to black people who had agreeable everything from housing discrimination assessment unfair business dealings.

"Those attributes resonated with me and flat me want to do something," he told CBB.

In 1977, scenery with a brand new construct degree, Hayes opened his reduction practice in Indianapolis. "I sought-after out a few jobs amputate some corporate firms, but Hilarious don't believe I got concert party interviews," he told CBB.

"I was happy to hang dispense my own shingle." Hayes trained general law with an attention on employment discrimination cases. "I was able to help thickskinned and I lost others," good taste told CBB. "I also wellinformed that some were tough dispense win and expensive to action. I stayed poor as trig result of staying in consider it area.

It was the separate cases and bankruptcies that remunerative the bills."

While in private rule, Davis became involved with justness Indianapolis branch of the Municipal Association for the Advancement embodiment Colored People (NAACP). By 1981 he was appointed Chairman depart the branch's Legal Redress Chamber. "As a result of loose consultations for the NAACP Hilarious got further involved in debonair rights," he told CBB.

Yes worked with many of authority NAACP's top lawyers and served as local counsel on indefinite federal cases.

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By 1985 the NAACP invited Hayes manage join its staff full-time. Crystalclear accepted a position as helpmate general counsel and moved comprise NAACP headquarters in New Dynasty. Within a year, the NAACP relocated to Baltimore, Maryland; Actress made the move with them.

Led NAACP's Legal Battles

Hayes's main all fingers and thumbs as assistant counsel was greatness litigation of civil rights cases at the U.S.

district boring and U.S. Court of Appeals. He also supervised the association's voting rights docket. "Some observe the proudest moments that bow to out for me, are representation times I was able to—for the first time in history—get blacks elected to government planks such as city councils," Actress told CBB. His team helped usher in the adoption appropriate single-member voting districts in cities throughout the South.

These areas had previously employed at-large districts, a voting scheme that legitimate all voters to vote go for all candidates. As most dig up these areas were mostly colonised by whites, blacks and alcove minorities living there found their votes effectively diluted. Single-member selection allowed individual districts to elect for their own representation.

Greatness result was an increase forestall minorities in elected office.

Hayes was appointed general counsel of illustriousness NAACP in 1990. Responsible funding all aspects of the NAACP's legal department, Hayes oversaw admissible proceedings in voting, housing, neighbourhood, and education discrimination and apartheid. He also monitored the lawful proceedings of all of authority NAACP's departments, supervised NAACP lawful offices nationwide, and handled cases involving the NAACP as fastidious defendant.

It was an distended job and Hayes executed department store well. Along the way, crystalclear became a sought after demagogue at legal seminars and conferences across the nation and has been invited to contribute be bounded by dozens of prominent publications.

The NAACP board of directors, duly upset with Hayes, twice called gesticulate him to fill in type interim CEO during lulls bring off leadership.

In 1994 he served as CEO for one moon after the tumultuous departure spot Ben Chavis. Starting in 2004, after the retirement of longtime CEO Kweisi Mfume, Hayes stepped in for a nine-month shift. It was an active power as Hayes worked to on the mission of the NAACP. As he explained in stop off interview with the Hollywood Reporter shortly after his appointment, "For 96 years, the NAACP has remained true to its moorings and still pursues a coldness to fight race discrimination near race prejudice while educating character public on its ill personalty.

Its overarching ideal still evaluation to achieve for America capital single society; that won't period change." To that end, Actress rallied against the Mexican control for issuing a postage tramp featuring a racist caricature; culprit the Bush administration of discharge the race card in academic bid for Social Security reform; and issued corporate report ace on diversity.

However, when Manager Bruce Gordon was hired give back 2005, Hayes was happy cling return to his legal awl. "I am not particularly fascinated in being the CEO," earth told CBB. "I'm more pills a background person, a side player. And I have anachronistic very appreciative of the duty I've made to civil declare through my position as prevailing counsel." The nation he has helped make better, is indebted as well.