Demetrius Newton
Demetrius Caiphus Newton was an American civil rights attorney and politician. He filed lawsuits to end desegregation, and represented Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and others in cases related to civil rights. He then served in the Alabama House of Representatives, representing the 53rd district, from 1986 to his death in 2013. He became the first Black speaker pro tempore in the history of the Alabama House, serving in the role from 1998 through 2010.
Newton was born in Fairfield, Alabama. He graduated from Fairfield Industrial High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wilberforce University and his Juris Doctor from the Boston University School of Law in 1952. The state of Alabama paid Newton to attend a law school outside of the state, in order to prevent having to desegregate the University of Alabama School of Law or create a law school for Blacks. At Boston University, Newton met Martin Luther King, Jr., who was enrolled as a seminary student at the time.
Source: Wikipedia