John Roy Harper II

John Roy Harper II (September 2, 1939 - July 7, 2003) was an American attorney and founder of the United Citizens Party.

John Roy Harper II
Chair of the United Citizens Party
Personal details
Born	(1939-09-02)September 2, 1939 Greenwood
Died	July 27, 2003(2003-07-27) (aged 63) Columbia, SC
Spouse	Denise Jefferson 1944-2010
Children	1
Education	Fisk University (BA) University of South Carolina (JD)

Early life and education

John Roy Harper II was born in 1939 to Mary Frances (née Smith) and John Roy Harper, both of whom were longtime teachers at Boylan-Haven-Mather Academy,^[1] known as Mather Academy. Harper attended Mather Academy, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fisk University and a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Career

Legal work

Harper was a plaintiff in several Voting Rights Act cases regarding redistricting plans, including Harper v. Kleindeinst, McCollum v. West.^[2] His cases reached the US District Court, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.^[3]

In 1988, Harper along with NAACP attorney Willie Abrams sued Richland County, resulting in 11 voting districts and the election of four Black members of County Council.^[4]

Political career

Harper worked with state lead Kevin Alexander Gray on Jesse Jackson's 1988 presidential campaign.^[5]

Harper was one of five men running to be the first Black person elected to Congress from South Carolina since George W. Murray during Reconstruction. In the 1992 Democratic Primary for the 6th Congressional district were Harper, Jim Clyburn, State Senator Herbert Fielding, State Senator Frank Gilbert, and Dr. Kenneth Mosely, an educator.^[6]

Personal life

His former wife, Denise Jefferson, was director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater until her death.^[7] He was the father of singer, dancer, and choreographer, Francesca Harper.

External links

• Getty Image of Harper and Julian Bond at a 1970 United Citizens Party event.
• Getty image of Harper in front of SC NAACP building, 1990.
• John Roy Harper II papers at the University of South Carolina South Caroliniana Library
• John Roy Harper with James Farmer at the University of South Carolina, 1993.