1978 – Death of NAACP Leader Charles Hamilton Houston Jr.

On June 8, 1978, Charles Hamilton Houston Jr., son of legendary legal strategist Charles H. Houston, died. Like his father, he was committed to civil rights through the law. While not as nationally recognized, Houston Jr. practiced law in Washington, D.C., and was involved in local civil rights cases. His death marked the end of a second generation of legal activism in the Houston family. His father was the architect of the NAACP\’s legal campaign against segregation, mentoring future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Houston Jr. carried that legacy forward, supporting legal strategies that challenged discrimination. This date is a reminder of how civil rights advocacy often runs through families and communities, sustaining momentum across generations.