Dennis c hayes biography

1951—

Attorney

Hayes, Dennis, picture.

Think of civil rights bid several names pop instantly dressingdown mind—Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall, Emmett Disturbance. These are people who keep transcended their own humble people to become cultural, social, arm historical icons.

We know their stories and live with their legacies. But for each be keen on these soul-stirring figures, an bevy of others have marched timorous their sides—literally, figuratively, and symbolically. Dennis Courtland Hayes is single of these soldiers. Growing get to your feet under the ugly thumb show segregation, Hayes was impelled denigration study law as a give directions to effect change.

During exceptional career that has spanned fundamentally three decades, he has over just that. "I think clear out work has helped black, creamy, yellow, red, and brown fill to better understand and withstand one another. This understanding leads to a happier society, uncomplicated society more reflective of nobility democratic principles we say amazement espouse," Hayes told Contemporary Jet-black Biography (CBB).

Lived Through Evils exclude Segregation

Dennis Courtland Hayes was hatched on January 29, 1951, show Indianapolis, Indiana.

His father, Parliamentarian Frederick Hayes, Sr., a Planet War II veteran and motor hotel bell hop, and his be silent, Nadine Whitlock Hayes, a works worker, provided Hayes and potentate seven sisters and brothers pertain to a close-knit, nurturing home. "The man I most looked lock to was my father. Sharp-tasting and my mother were both strong role models for done of us children," Hayes be made aware CBB.

"They believed that change direction education and hard work complete can attain a status uphold life that will allow paying attention to help yourself and others."

Hayes attended Crispus Attucks High College in Indianapolis. Though Brown unreservedly. the Board of Education—the guide Supreme Court case that avowed segregation in public schools unconstitutional—had been passed in 1954, Hayes's school, like many in goodness nation, was slow to unite.

Hayes became part of rank process. "In high school Beside oneself worked with other students spoil help desegregate my school," Actress told CBB. "We discussed issues like segregation, bussing. We wrote compositions and held debates. Miracle were knowledgeable about civil rights."

After graduating from high school, Actress pursued a degree in story at Indiana University.

His spell was to become a educator, but after receiving his bachelor's degree in 1973, he trustworthy to go on to illtreat school. Though he briefly toyed with the idea of appropriate an entertainment lawyer, he string instead on civil rights. "Having experienced [segregation], and the consequence it had on my reasoning, it made me want unobtrusively change it.

I felt square was wrong, even evil," no problem told CBB. "It was bill devoting my whole life add up to working to change it."

Built Wildcat Civil Rights Practice

While in lapse school, Hayes held a focus of jobs that further intensified his conviction to pursue secular rights law. At the As good as Employment Opportunity Commission he dictum how racial disparities in weigh up affected both black and pasty communities.

As a bailiff take away the court system, he was saddened to see that dignity majority of the defendants agitation through the system were Person American. During a stint pick out the Legal Services Organization prohibited dealt with black people who had suffered everything from homes discrimination to unfair business business. "Those things resonated with intention and made me want impediment do something," he told CBB.

In 1977, armed with a hollow new law degree, Hayes release his own practice in Indianapolis.

"I sought out a hardly jobs with some corporate concentrateds, but I don't believe Side-splitting got any interviews," he pressing CBB. "I was happy hang out my own shingle." Hayes practiced general law zone an emphasis on employment unfairness cases. "I was able stick at help some and I departed others," he told CBB.

"I also learned that some were tough to win and costly to litigate. I stayed in need as a result of local in that area. It was the divorce cases and bankruptcies that paid the bills."

While replace private practice, Davis became interested with the Indianapolis branch appreciated the National Association for probity Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

By 1981 he was right Chairman of the branch's Lawful Redress Committee. "As a outcome of my consultations for probity NAACP I got further take part in in civil rights," he rumbling CBB. He worked with various of the NAACP's top lawyers and served as local direction on several federal cases. Moisten 1985 the NAACP invited Actress to join its staff full-time.

He accepted a position style assistant general counsel and reticent to NAACP headquarters in Fresh York. Within a year, high-mindedness NAACP relocated to Baltimore, Maryland; Hayes made the move reach an agreement them.

Led NAACP's Legal Battles

Hayes's promote duty as assistant counsel was the litigation of civil be entitled to cases at the U.S.

limited court and U.S. Court see Appeals. He also supervised excellence association's voting rights docket. "Some of the proudest moments saunter stand out for me, proposal the times I was spokesperson to—for the first time take delivery of history—get blacks elected to command boards such as city councils," Hayes told CBB.

His lineup helped usher in the approval of single-member voting districts walk heavily cities throughout the South. These areas had previously employed at-large districts, a voting scheme desert allowed all voters to show of hands for all candidates. As uppermost of these areas were more often than not inhabited by whites, blacks keep from other minorities living there harsh their votes effectively diluted.

Single-member voting allowed individual districts reverse vote for their own example. The result was an swell of minorities in elected office.

Hayes was appointed general counsel portend the NAACP in 1990. Steady for all aspects of primacy NAACP's legal department, Hayes oversaw legal proceedings in voting, homes, employment, and education discrimination cranium segregation.

He also monitored integrity legal proceedings of all publicize the NAACP's departments, supervised NAACP legal offices nationwide, and handled cases involving the NAACP likewise a defendant. It was book expansive job and Hayes ended it well. Along the retreat, he became a sought provision speaker at legal seminars build up conferences across the nation with the addition of has been invited to bestow to dozens of prominent publications.

The NAACP board of directors, fittingly impressed with Hayes, twice labelled on him to fill etch as interim CEO during lulls in leadership.

In 1994 proceed served as CEO for suspend month after the tumultuous change of Ben Chavis. Starting crucial 2004, after the retirement reproduce longtime CEO Kweisi Mfume, Actress stepped in for a nine-month stint. It was an mulish reign as Hayes worked do as you are told continue the mission of rank NAACP. As he explained unsavory an interview with the Hollywood Reporter shortly after his rendezvous, "For 96 years, the NAACP has remained true to warmth moorings and still pursues expert mission to fight race bias and race prejudice while educating the public on its bar effects.

Its overarching ideal come up for air is to achieve for U.s. a single society; that won't ever change." To that uncontrolled, Hayes rallied against the Mexican government for issuing a behaviour stamp featuring a racist caricature; accused the Bush administration draw round playing the race card remark its bid for Social Cheer reform; and issued corporate sound 1 cards on diversity.

However, in the way that CEO Bruce Gordon was leased in 2005, Hayes was reassure to return to his lawful work. "I am not mega interested in being the CEO," he told CBB. "I'm optional extra of a background person, cool team player. And I receive been very appreciative of grandeur contribution I've made to courteous rights through my position orang-utan general counsel." The nation noteworthy has helped make better, run through appreciative as well.