Fighter of racism. Mentor to many. J. Kenneth Lee 'stood at the front of the line all the time'

Posted Jul 30, 2018
Before he was a U.S. Supreme Court justice, Thurgood Marshall had represented J. Kenneth Lee as a student in the fight to integrate UNC's Law School. As a lawyer, Lee would represent five black girls in the fight to attend the all-white Gillespie Park Elementary in 1957, making Greensboro one of the first cities in the Southeast to desegregate its public schools. (Greensboro News & Record)

Related: Campus Connections

Memorable Carolina moments, stories and achievements from 2025
At the Carolina Center for Public Service’s award presentation in April, UNC honored two dearly missed Tar Heels. The new Montross Award, in honor of...
Wed Dec 24, 2025

Christmas 1970: James Taylor and Joni Mitchell in Chapel Hill
On Christmas Eve 1970 I had just turned twenty-one and was managing the Record and Tape Center at 456 West Franklin Street. As I was...
Sun Dec 21, 2025

Former North Carolina governor, UNC law school alum Jim Hunt dies at 88
Former Gov. Jim Hunt, who redefined the office of governor in North Carolina, championed public education and helped focus the state's economy on high-tech industries,...
Sat Dec 20, 2025

Best moments from ESPN documentary "Boo-Yah: A Portrait of Stuart Scott"
In 1984, Stuart Scott began attending the University of North Carolina, where he studied journalism. He became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.,...
Thu Dec 18, 2025