CHARLOTTE – A section of Interstate 85 in Charlotte was dedicated yesterday in honor of educator, lawyer and civil rights leader Julius Chambers. A ceremony was held at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte that included remarks from Governor Roy Cooper, former USDOT Secretary Anthony Foxx, and Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles.
Motorists can now see “Julius Chamber Highway” signs along I-85 between I-77 (Exit 38) and the I-85 connector (Exit 42). A replica sign was unveiled by members of the Chambers family at the ceremony.
“Julius was a lawyer for the people,” said Mayor Liles. “His success was and continues to be the way people are treated.”
Mr. Chambers obtained an undergraduate degree from North Carolina Central University and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan. He went on to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study law, graduating first in his class and serving as editor-in-chief of the North Carolina Law Review.
Mr. Chambers also founded the first integrated law firm in the state, where he litigated and won several cases in the United States Supreme Court. During some of these trials, he had to face his own home and car being bombed in 1965, and his downtown Charlotte law office burning down in 1971. Nonetheless, he continued his advocacy for the rights of minorities across North Carolina and the nation.
“I think from him we learned that the road toward a just and fair and equal world is long, rough, and uneven, but that he had an unyielding commitment to opportunity for everyone, and he believed that everyone should have the opportunity to achieve,” said Governor Cooper.
Other speakers at today’s ceremony included NCDOT Chief Deputy Secretary David Howard and members of the Chambers family. The dedication was emceed by N.C. Board of Transportation Chairman Mike Fox.
Contact: Jen Thompson
jenthompson@ncdot.gov
(980) 523-0000