Mississippi Governor Names First Black to Supreme Court

JACKSON, Miss. — Circuit Judge Reuben V. Anderson has been appointed to the Mississippi Supreme Court, becoming the first black to join the court.

Anderson, 42, was chosen Friday by Gov. Bill Allain to replace Justice Francis S. Bowling of Jackson, who announced his retirement last month.

Anderson, who began practicing law in 1967, said his selection demonstrated how far Mississippi has come in the last two decades.

“When I first started practicing law, I had to take my diploma with me wherever I went. Judges would not allow black lawyers to practice in a lot of courts in this state,” he said. “It makes you proud, so proud that Mississippi has come so far.”