UA law ‘pioneer’ Mercer, 88, dies

Activist advised Little Rock 9

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

At a July ceremony recognizing 12 of Little Rock’s most well-known activists from the civil-rights movement, Crystal Mercer stood in for one of the honorees: her father, C.C. Mercer Jr., who was too ill to attend.

“My Daddy is a giant,” she told the crowd. “He has a big heart. He has awide smile. He has deep thoughts, a big personality. Everything about him is huge. At 88 years old, he tells the best stories.

It’sthese stories that inspired me as a little girl.”

She joked that even though he was sick, her father was still as sharp and tough as ever.

Christopher Columbus Mercer Jr. died Tuesday morning.

But his stories - and the memories of what he accomplished - will linger, not just with his family, but the state where he worked to affect big changes.

University of Arkansas Chancellor G. David Gearhart put it this way: “He was an outstanding leader and advocate, a great Arkansan and a much-loved member of the Razorback community. He will long be remembered and celebrated as one of our most influential alumni.”

Mercer was one of the first black men to attend the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville.

Dubbed the “Six Pioneers,” he and five other black students integrated the school in 1949.

Mercer also served as an adviser to Little Rock Nine mentor Daisy Bates during the desegregation of Central High School in 1957. Every day, during that first semester at Central High, Mercer drove the nine students to and from school.

He practiced law for more than 58 years and was believed to be the first black man in the South to become a deputy state prosecutor.

“This is a profound loss for the law school community and the legal profession,” Stacy Leeds, dean ofthe School of Law, said in a statement.

“Mr. Mercer set the perfect example of a lawyer as a community leader and public servant. His life is marked by hard work and immeasurable sacrifices, yet he never sought anything in return - he just gave.”

During the many decades he practiced law, Mercer earned a reputation for representing black clients of modest means.

In February, Mercer received the university’s Silas Hunt Legacy Award, which recognizes black leaders who contributed to their communities, Arkansas and the nation.

When presented with the award, Mercer said he would also like to see recognition for the white students who supported him when he enrolled in law school.

“When you cross racial divides ... then you know they are your true friends,” he said. “They were ostracized. They were vilified.”

John Kirk, history chairman at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, first met Mercer in 1992 while researching the civil-rights movement. He continued to talk with Mercer over the years and was often impressed by Mercer’s recall.

“He retained pretty vivid memories,” Kirk said. “He was very sharp and knowledgeable.”

In later years, Mercer remained “bright” and “lively,” Kirk said, adding, “He practiced law right up until the end, when he got ill.”

Mercer was born on March 27, 1924, in Pine Bluff.

He received a degree in social services from Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical and Normal College in 1946, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

While Mercer first enrolled at the UA School of Law in 1949, he had to drop out several times in order to earn the money needed to continue his education. He passed the bar exam in 1954 - receiving the highest score in his group - and receivedhis law degree in 1955.

Soon after, Mercer became involved in the civil-rights movement, serving as a field secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

He received his law license on the same day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that schools racially segregated by law were “inherently unequal” and unconstitutional in its Brown V. Board of Education of Topeka, Kan., decision.

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Brown decision, Mercer joined four other panelists in 2004 in highlighting the importance of the case. During the discussion, Mercer deemed Little Rock the “birthplace” of testing the ideals behind the Brown decision.

“That decision broke down the walls of segregation,” he said. “What did happen in Little Rock brought attention more than any other single thing.”

In July, hundreds gathered to recognize Mercer, the Little Rock Nine, Daisy Bates and L.C. Bates as markers for each honoree were added to the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail.

At the ceremony, Crystal Mercer explained her father’s absence: “He has been in a nonviolent protest, if you will, with cancer.”

She then promised a short speech, in keeping with her father’s style.

“He always ends his speeches with six of the greatest words that were written by three of the greatest men that ever lived. Socrates said, ‘Know thyself.’ Cicero said, ‘Control thyself.’ And Jesus said, ‘Give thyself.’

“This self-awareness, this self-control, this spirit of giving was an inspiration for my father in a time of social injustice,” Crystal Mercer said.

She told the audience that she often joked with her father that if she tried to follow in his footsteps, she would fall in.

“I know that people have mentioned that his story has been unsung and he is one of the unsung heroes,” Crystal Mercer continued.

“Well, that is not true. Because he is my hero, and I will forever sing his praises.”

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 9 on 11/21/2012