John Stewart Rock, one of the first African Americans to be admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court, died on May 6, 1872. Born free in New Jersey, Rock was a dentist, doctor, abolitionist, and lawyer. His career was a testament to Black excellence during an era of deep racial oppression. An advocate for full citizenship rights, Rock coined the phrase “Black is Beautiful” nearly a century before it became a cultural slogan. His admission to the Supreme Court bar during the Reconstruction era symbolized a significant breakthrough for African Americans in law and public life.
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