Floyd McKissick
Floyd McKissick | |
|---|---|
McKissick at the dedication of Freedom Place in Manhattan, named for slain civil rights activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, November 25, 1967 | |
| 2nd National Director of the Congress of Racial Equality | |
| In office 1966–1968 | |
| Preceded by | James Farmer |
| Succeeded by | Wilfred Ussery |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 9, 1922 |
| Died | April 28, 1991 (aged 69) |
| Spouse | Evelyn Williams |
| Children | Floyd Jr. Joycelyn Andree Charmaine |
| Alma mater | Morehouse College |
Floyd Bixler McKissick (March 9, 1922 – April 28, 1991) was an American lawyer and civil rights activist. He became the first African-American student at the University of North Carolina School of Law. In 1966 he became leader of CORE, the Congress of Racial Equality, taking over from James Farmer. A supporter of Black Power, he turned CORE into a more radical movement. In 1968, McKissick left CORE to found Soul City in Warren County, North Carolina. He was an active Republican and endorsed Richard Nixon for president that year, and the federal government, under President Nixon, supported Soul City. He became a state district court judge in 1990 and died on April 28, 1991.
Politician and attorney Floyd McKissick Jr., is his son.