Z. Alexander Looby

Z. Alexander Looby was born in Antigua, British West Indies, on April 8, 1899 and immigrated to the United States in 1914. In 1926 he became a professor at Fisk University, teaching economics, after receiving a bachelor’s degree from Howard University, a Bachelor of Law degree from Columbia University, and a Doctor of Juristic Science from New York University. He also lectured often at Meharry Medical College. It wasn’t until 1929 when he started to practice law in Memphis for three years and then go on to found the first African-American, Nashville Law School. In 1946 the NAACP hired Looby, Maurice Weaver, and Thurgood Marshall to represent the 23 African-Americans accused of murder in the Columbia riots (later acquitted). Looby has also been credited with desegregating the Nashville golf courses and Airport dining rooms.

In the film Looby was recognized as one of the attorneys, defending the college sit-in students. He was such a threat to the anti-desegregation cause, that they targeted his home and bombed his house with a stick of dynamite (pictured above). Many researchers have found that this attack actually acted as a catalyst for the movement. On that same day, 3,000 protesters marched on the Davidson County Courthouse and cornered Nashville Mayor Ben West. He later was quoted on that day saying, “discrimination is wrong and immoral.”

Three weeks later, an agreement was made with local vendors and black civic leader to open up downtown Nashville for business again, and to also desegregate the lunch counters.

One thing that I found so interesting about Mr. Alexander Looby was how diverse his education was and how fast he acquired it. It definitely reflects someone who had vision and wanted to make a difference.