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Cheven Bowers “C.B.” King died in San Diego,CA,on March 15,2011.King was the first Black person to run for Govenor of Georgia since Reconstruction.

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Chevene Bowers King was born in 1923 in Albany, Georgia. His father Clennon King had earned a degree at Tuskegee Institute, and it was expected that education would be a fundamental part of young C.B.’s life. He was educated in the segregated school system of Albany and then spent some time at Tuskegee before serving a tour of duty in the United States Navy. When he returned from his time with the navy, he attended Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated in 1949, and sought to attend law school. However, there were no law schools in Georgia that accepted black applicants, and so he went north to Ohio and attended Case Western University. After receiving his law degree in 1952, King returned to Georgia and opened up his own law firm. King was a dynamic force in the courtroom, and fearless in his willingness to represent black clients in Georgia when no one else would. He often had confrontations with law enforcement and judges. In 1964, King was the first black man in Georgia to run for Congress since Reconstruction. He lost this race as well as another race for governor in 1969, but his place on the ballot was important and it caused an increase in the number of blacks who voted. After his failed attempts at political office, he became a mentor for law students, and was a valuable resource. He died in 1988, but his legacy and influence live on in Georgia and other areas.

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