On May 10, 1951, civil rights attorney and educator Z. Alexander Looby was elected to the Nashville City Council, becoming one of the first Black council members in the city since Reconstruction. A fierce advocate for racial justice, Looby had already gained national attention for defending Black students in desegregation cases and for standing up to institutional racism in Tennessee. His election signaled a turning point in Southern politics and helped lay the groundwork for Nashville’s pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s. Looby’s legacy lives on as a symbol of legal resistance, public service, and community empowerment.
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