Judge Robert L. Carter (Finding Aid)

Judge Robert L. Carter

1917 -

Favorite Color: Tan

Favorite Food: Fish

Favorite Time of Year: Summer

Favorite Vacation Spot: The Caribbean

Interview Length: 72 minutes

Interview Date(s): May 22, 2001

Interview Location(s): New York, New York

Abstract

Robert Carter describes his family background, telling of his family's migration from Florida to New Jersey during the Great Migration period. Carter recalls growing up in Newark, New Jersey, and describes his experience attending school in a mostly white neighborhood. In particular, he remembers a school teacher who discouraged him from his ambitions to attend college. Carter says that his mother nutured and encouraged these ambitions starting from an early age. Carter discusses his time at Lincoln University, where he had a positive experience majoring in sociology. From there, he describes studying law at Howard University. Carter recalls the distinguished faculty at Howard who placed an emphasis on constitutional law. Carter begins to describe his time in the U.S. Army, in which he encountered severe racism. Robert Carter describes his time in the U.S. Army, focusing on dealing with the racism he faced during all of his nearly four years in the military. Carter explains how he came to work with Thurgood Marshall at the NAACP after getting out of the military. He describes the working environment at the NAACP, and details numerous winning cases in his and the organization's fight against segregation, including the landmark 'Brown v. Board of Education.' Carter discusses some of the NAACP's strategies behind many of these cases, including dealing with opposition from the black middle class. He reflects on his incredible success record arguing in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, but still painfully remembers the one case he lost. Before briefly discussing the beginning of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Carter tells of how his time at the NAACP came to an end over a dispute about an article in the New York Times. Robert Carter describes the progression of his law career, explaining his move from the NAACP to a private firm and then his appointment as District Court Judge in New York City. Carter then reflects on 'Brown v. Board of Education' and its impact on African Americans and on American society in general. Carter expresses his hopes and concerns for the black community, focusing on a need to eliminate prejudice from the criminal justice system.

26 Stories (See Ordered Story Set)