Judge Thomas L. Griffith's pioneering legacy lives on

Judge Thomas L. Griffith

Judge Griffith was a pioneering champion for justice, inclusion, and opportunity within our courts.

In 2019, at the start of my freshman year of high school, I accompanied my grandmother, who was invited by then Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile and Assistant Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor, to meet with a group of Los Angeles Superior Court judges to share some of the contributions my great-grandfather made to the judiciary during his tenure as a judge in the late 1960s. My great-grandfather was the Honorable Thomas L. Griffith, Jr., the first African American judge elected to the Los Angeles Superior Court.

At the time, I was 14 years old and had never met my great-grandfather. But I will never forget my overwhelming sense of pride that afternoon seeing my family heritage, my DNA still hanging in the halls of the historical Stanley Mosk Courthouse, among so many other great judicial leaders. That day, I learned that Judge Brazile was the first Black Presiding Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court. Even more inspiring, I also learned that Judge Taylor had recently been elected to serve as Brazile's Assistant Presiding Judge, to round out the first all-black leadership team in the history of the nation's largest trial court system. Almost 60 years after my great-grandfather, they were making history in our County Superior Court.

Rev. Greta Sesheta and Anya Nelson at Superior Court Hall of Presiding Municipal Judges on Sept. 13, 2019 (Daughter and great-granddaughter of Judge Thomas L. Griffith Jr.)

The year prior, I joined my school's debate team and found that my usually quiet demeanor would quickly disintegrate whenever I advocated for a policy that I believed would directly benefit my community. With the prospect of becoming a lawyer beginning to percolate in my mind, I arrived at the courthouse with my eyes wide open, ready to soak up all the knowledge I could about the law. I never imagined that almost five years later, I would finish my first year at Stanford University and be a Haas Center for Public Service Black Diaspora Fellow intern at the Superior Court with Judge Taylor.

In the eighth grade, fueled by my family's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, I developed a project related to voter intimidation after the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. I realized then that I wanted to be an advocate and speak up against injustice in any form. When I saw my great-grandfather's portrait still hanging in that hall, I was all in.

Anya Nelson and Judge Eric C. Taylor

While I never had the pleasure of meeting my "Papa Tom," because he passed away before I was born, I'd heard the stories about the boundaries he had broken, that now afforded so many opportunities to so many today, including me. It is easy to forget the tireless struggles of those who came before - struggles that time seemingly evaporates from our daily thoughts and memory. Myriad untold stories of courage and sacrifice languish in the passage of time. My Papa Tom was a loving husband and father, a courageous attorney, a just and fair jurist, generous to his community, a role model and so much more. His is a story of the power of education, the grit it takes to succeed, and the power of perseverance.

He was sworn in on Jan. 6, 1969, as the first-ever elected Black Superior Court Judge in Los Angeles County chosen by countywide voters. Getting there was an uphill battle. He was born on March 5, 1902, in Albia, Iowa to Rev. and Mrs. Thomas L. Griffith. In October 1921, his family relocated to California. He attended the University of Southern California for his undergraduate degree and Southwestern Law School for his LL.B. He washed cars and cleaned spittoons to help pay for his schooling.

Photo courtesy of Anya Nelson

After graduating from law school in 1928, he requested that a friend who could "pass for white" help him rent his law office because there were no Black renters previously allowed in the California Bank building on the corner of Vernon and Central Ave. He used his law degree to advocate for other Blacks seeking equal rights. Notably, in 1934, as chairman of the legal committee of the Los Angeles NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), Judge Griffith claimed a major win for the Civil Rights Movement and the parents of 13 Monrovia, California school children who had been arrested. The parents were told they must send their children to the Huntington Drive School of Monrovia despite it having been significantly damaged by an earthquake. There were other safe schools in the area, but none of them accepted Black students. The parents were arrested and found guilty of refusing to send their children to an unsafe school. Attorney Griffith filed suit in the Superior Court on behalf of the parents asserting that the Monrovia School District violated California law by having a segregated school. He subsequently filed a writ of mandate that would require the Monrovia School District to allow the Black children to attend other safe schools in the district. The writ was granted, and the Huntington Drive School students involved in the case, who were all Black or Hispanic, were permitted to attend other safe schools in Monrovia.

A year later, in 1935, Griffith became president of the Los Angeles Branch of the NAACP. He held the office for 15 years, until 1950. During this time, he continuously demonstrated his resolve to combat segregation. In 1942, Griffith collaborated with Thurgood Marshall to win another victory for the NAACP by successfully desegregating the Brookside Plunge in Pasadena. They prevailed on appeal in the California Supreme Court, after initially losing at trial, paving the way for minorities to swim any time the pool was open, not just the day before the pool was drained and cleaned as had previously been the practice. In response, Pasadena elected to close the pool rather than desegregate. It was only after the NAACP succeeded in getting an injunction that the pool was finally desegregated on July 7, 1947.

Griffith was also a founder of the Langston Law Club, recognizing the need for a supportive legal community for Black lawyers who were excluded from legal associations. Griffith was elected Assistant Secretary and Publicity Director in 1932. He and his brother, Lloyd Griffith, an attorney and former champion debater at USC, were among the group of prominent African American attorneys who decided in 1938 that what was formerly known as the Blackstone Law Club would officially be transformed into what is known today as the John M. Langston Law Club (Association).

Photo courtesy of Anya Nelson

When he wasn't breaking down barriers for others, he was fighting for acceptance himself. On Feb. 22, 1950--after a five-year battle--Griffith became the first Black attorney admitted to the Los Angeles County Bar Association. In 1953, he was appointed by then-Governor Earl Warren to the Municipal Court. He was just the second Black Judge in California--following Judge Edwin L. Jefferson. In 1962, he was elected by his fellow jurists to become the first African American Presiding Judge of the Los Angeles Municipal Court. In 1968, Griffith ran numerous contributions to charitable and philanthropic organizations are far too many to thoroughly highlight, but a few of his most notable achievements are included below.

On Oct. 5 this year, I attended the John M. Langston Hall of Fame induction ceremony dinner, honoring Judge Taylor and other outstanding attorneys and jurists. Upon opening the program, I saw Judge Griffith's name listed in the first class of Hall of Fame recipients in 1990. African American trailblazers have paved the way for us all to have access to the opportunities we do today. Judge Griffth and so many others have left a legacy, including the outstanding jurists that I've met and worked with during my fellowship at the Los Angeles Superior Court. My experience this year has enlightened me about their dedication and sacrifice to upholding justice. I am also reminded of the boundaries my great-grandfather broke and the many more that need to be broken. I was proud to be a court intern, continuing this legacy. I hope to pick up the torch he left and carry it closer to the finish line.

Judge Thomas L. Griffith Jr.:

1923: Charter member of Omega Psi Phi, Lambda Chapter (the first Black organization officially recognized by the administration of USC), and served as Basileus for a number of years beginning in 1924.

1925: Member and ultimately President of the Junior Branch of the Los Angeles NAACP1.

1935-1950: President of NAACP Los Angeles Branch. Grew membership from 1,500 to 17,000 during his time as President. Became a Member of the National Legal Committee for the NAACP.

1946: Co-founder, Director, and Legal Counsel for the Broadway Federal Savings and Loan Association.

1951-1953: Member of Legislation Committee of State Bar of California.

1965-1968: First Black Executive Board Member of the Conference of California Judges.

1968: Chairman of Los Angeles County Bar Association's Constitutional Rights Committee.

1968: Chairman of the Municipal Court Judges Association.