1920 – Birth of Martin Delany's Grandson, Hubert Delany

On May 29, 1920, Hubert Thomas Delany—civil rights attorney, judge, and grandson of abolitionist Martin Delany—was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. A pioneering legal mind, Hubert Delany broke barriers as one of the first African Americans appointed as a federal assistant U.S. attorney and later as a New York City judge. He represented civil rights giants like Paul Robeson and defended protestors during the Harlem Renaissance and early Civil Rights era. His birth continues a multigenerational legacy of Black excellence and activism rooted in the Delany family’s unwavering commitment to justice. May 29 celebrates a lineage that helped lay the foundation for civil rights litigation in the 20th century. Hubert Delany’s story bridges Reconstruction-era Black nationalism with modern legal advocacy, making his life a powerful reflection of intergenerational Black resistance and intellectual achievement.