Harry Briggs

Harry and Eliza Briggs, a family of strong faith, were among the first families to sign the petition against segregation. Meetings were held secretly in their homes as well as Saint Mark AME and Liberty Hill AME to find twenty parents willing to become plaintiffs and sign a legal complaint. Harry Briggs, a Navy veteran, and his oldest son, Harry Briggs Jr., were listed first among the Black children whose parents brought suit. Because of the Briggs family's courageous efforts, the goal was reached, and on May 16, 1950, Briggs vs. Elliott was filed. The family faced retaliation, and after Harry Briggs Sr. tried without success to support them on a small farm, he moved his family to NY. Briggs vs. Elliott, along with four other cases, led to the landmark 1954 case Brown vs. Board of Education.

Summerton, South Carolina · United States