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After the
Supreme Court decision, Butts went on to register black voters in Norfolk, signing up 2,882 "in one six month period." Butts, along with Jordan and other community leaders, helped create the Concerned Citizens for Political Education group, which became a powerful political force in local
230:
In
November 1995, Norfolk named a street in her honor. On March 27, 1996, the city held a celebration to mark the 30th anniversary of the poll tax repeal. During the celebration, they honored Butts and other activists involved. In 2017, Butts' daughter, Charlene Butts Ligon, published a book about
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upheld the tax. Butts appealed the case and the United States
Supreme Court decided to hear the appeal in October 1965. Butts' case was combined with a similar case filed by Annie E. Harper, which reached the Supreme Court first. The case,
221:
Butts was forced into retirement from politics in 1990 when she was ousted as the chair of the
Concerned Citizens for Political Education. Butts died in her home on March 11, 1993. She is buried in Norfolk's Forest Lawn Cemetery.
152:
school. In 1960, she was involved in picketing the Be-Lo
Supermarket for not employing black people in higher-level positions. She also protested against black people being told to sit in certain parts of the football
128:. When she was ten years old, her mother, Lottie Cornick Thomas, died and she was adopted and raised by a politically active aunt. She married Charles Herbert Butts in 1941 and her husband served in
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in the 1950s. During her time as the
Oakwood Civic League, she helped create the Rosemont Middle School in her neighborhood so that children would not have to ride the bus to the
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Butts ran for city council in
Norfolk three times in 1980, 1982 and in 1984, but was never successful. Also in 1984, Butts was a witness in a court trial where she supported an
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and took in boarders to make money. The Butts family moved to the
Oakwood neighborhood of Norfolk and Butts became the president of the neighborhood's civic league.
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211:(NRHA) in 1975. She would serve on the NRHA for twelve years. In 1982, she was appointed by the governor to the State Board of Housing and Community Development.
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called the book "thoughtful and information-filled." The book provides intimate details of Butts' life and her activism as seen through her daughter's eyes.
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Fearless: How a Poor
Virginia Seamstress Took on Jim Crow, Beat the Poll Tax and Changed Her City Forever
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132:. The couple had three daughters together. When Charles retired due to a war-injury, Butts worked as a
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420:"Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., Bellevue woman's mother led the fight to end the poll tax"
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184:. In March 1964, this first case was dismissed, but Butts filed another case and the
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588:"Evelyn Butts (1924-1993), Norfolk Principal in a Case to Invalidate the Poll Tax"
157:. In 1961, Butts was chosen to run against the incumbent president of the Norfolk
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696:"A close, illuminating look at Evelyn Butts, civil rights pioneer"
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195:, was decided in March 1966, making poll taxes unconstitutional.
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since it imposed an "undue financial burden" that violated the
161:. However, Butts withdrew when it became clear she would lose.
665:"Daughter's New Book On Mrs. Evelyn Butts, Good Local History"
726:
172:, filing in November 1963. Butts' case was that the tax was
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The
Library of Virginia African American Trailblazers 2009
738:
She Defeated the Poll Tax - Remembering Evelyn T. Butts
297:"Norfolk Political Activist Struck Blow To Poll Tax"
79:
63:
40:
21:
637:"Black Activist Favors At-Large election System"
794:20th-century African-American women politicians
168:, sued the state of Virginia for requiring the
819:Candidates in the 1984 United States elections
814:Candidates in the 1982 United States elections
809:Candidates in the 1980 United States elections
8:
789:African-American people in Virginia politics
394:"Norfolk Judge Halts Pickets at Be-Lo Store"
207:Butts was appointed the commissioner of the
769:Activists for African-American civil rights
209:Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority
192:Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections
112:and later became an influential figure in
29:
18:
829:20th-century African-American politicians
124:Evelyn Thomas was born May 22, 1924, in
100:. She is best known for challenging the
96:civil rights activist and politician in
804:20th-century American women politicians
295:Colvin, Leonard E. (26 February 2014).
257:Blackwell, Lorraine (8 February 1996).
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92:(May 22, 1924 - March 11, 1993) was an
563:"Black Coalition Outs Longtime Leader"
779:American women civil rights activists
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418:Nitcher, Emily (16 January 2017).
370:"Butts, Evelyn Thomas (1924–1993)"
327:"Butts, Evelyn Thomas (1924–1993)"
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799:20th-century American politicians
694:Smith, Erica (10 February 2018).
671:. 18 January 2018. Archived from
186:4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
83:civil rights activist, politician
824:American anti-poll tax activists
478:"Ceremony Marks Poll Tax Repeal"
444:"Disenters Challenge NAACP Vote"
16:American activist and politician
774:American civil rights activists
1:
784:People from Norfolk, Virginia
732:State Defends Poll Tax System
144:Butts became involved in the
104:and took her case before the
331:www.encyclopediavirginia.org
218:election system in Norfolk.
650:– via Newspapers.com.
625:– via Newspapers.com.
612:"Councilwoman to Run Again"
576:– via Newspapers.com.
548:– via Newspapers.com.
491:– via Newspapers.com.
457:– via Newspapers.com.
407:– via Newspapers.com.
106:United States Supreme Court
845:
669:The New Journal and Guide
301:The New Journal and Guide
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618:. 1984-02-02. p. 14
541:. 1993-03-12. p. 14
484:. 1996-03-27. p. 13
450:. 1961-03-14. p. 10
108:. Butts was part of the
643:. 1984-06-02. p. 3
569:. 1990-06-11. p. 4
539:Iowa City Press-Citizen
400:. 1960-03-15. p. 9
263:Richmond Times-Dispatch
199:politics in the 1970s.
178:equal protection clause
164:Butts and her lawyer,
512:Encyclopedia Virginia
374:Encyclopedia Virginia
238:New Journal and Guide
146:civil rights movement
140:Civil rights activism
110:civil rights movement
734:(1966 news clipping)
166:Joseph A. Jordan Jr.
706:on 10 February 2018
307:on 11 December 2015
90:Evelyn Thomas Butts
23:Evelyn Thomas Butts
675:on 18 January 2018
535:"Deaths Elsewhere"
448:The Progress-Index
231:her mother called
259:"Evelyn T. Butts"
126:Norfolk, Virginia
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74:Norfolk, Virginia
58:Norfolk, Virginia
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721:External links
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182:14th Amendment
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80:Known for
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71:(aged 68)
67:March 11, 1993
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744:Find a Grave
740:(2014 video)
708:. Retrieved
704:the original
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673:the original
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645:. Retrieved
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130:World War II
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69:(1993-03-11)
55:May 22, 1924
764:1993 deaths
759:1924 births
679:13 February
641:Daily Press
616:Daily Press
567:Daily Press
482:Daily Press
398:Daily Press
311:12 February
35:Butts, 1966
753:Categories
710:2018-02-13
647:2018-02-13
622:2018-02-13
597:2018-02-13
573:2018-02-13
545:2018-02-13
517:2018-02-13
508:"Poll Tax"
488:2018-02-13
454:2018-02-13
429:2018-02-13
404:2018-02-13
379:2018-02-13
336:2018-02-20
268:2018-02-13
245:References
150:segregated
134:seamstress
120:Early life
116:politics.
51:1924-05-22
424:Omaha.com
216:at-large
170:poll tax
102:poll tax
98:Virginia
180:of the
155:stadium
114:Norfolk
235:. The
226:Legacy
159:NAACP
681:2018
313:2018
64:Died
41:Born
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
