Collins, Robert Frederick
1931-2009 · Contribution: 1978
First African American federal judge in the Deep South

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Impact on the world
Became the first African American federal judge to serve in the Deep South in 1978, a significant breakthrough in a region with a particularly entrenched history of judicial segregation.
Life & background
Collins became the first African American federal judge in the Deep South in 1978, an important milestone in a region where Black judicial representation had lagged even behind other parts of the formerly segregated South.
Sources
- Federal Judicial Center biographical directory; Vanderbilt Univ. 'Who Speaks for the Negro?' archive
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