J. R. Clifford

J. R. Clifford

J.R. Clifford (1848–1933) was West Virginia’s first African-American attorney. Clifford was also a newspaper publisher, editor and writer, schoolteacher, and principal. He was a Civil War veteran, grandfather, as well as a civil rights pioneer and founding member of the Niagara Movement (forerunner to the NAACP). Despite boundaries derived from racial discrimination, J. R. Clifford's accomplishments were great, reflecting his ability and determination.