Floyd McKissick, a pioneering civil rights leader and lawyer, was born on May 9, 1916, in Asheville, North Carolina. McKissick became the first African American to attend the University of North Carolina School of Law after a federal lawsuit mandated his admission. As national director of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in the 1960s, McKissick pushed for direct-action protests and Black Power strategies. He later spearheaded the creation of Soul City, a planned community in North Carolina designed to promote Black economic independence. His life\’s work exemplified a transition from traditional civil rights activism to broader economic and political empowerment.
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