Martin Luther King Jr Plaza in Norfolk, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Evelyn Thomas Butts
(1924-1993)
Photographed By Brandon D Cross, January 27, 2022
1. Evelyn Thomas Butts Marker
Inscription.
Evelyn Thomas Butts. Evelyn Butts, civil rights activist and community organizer, worked to secure voting rights for African Americans. In 1963 she initiated a federal lawsuit asserting that Virginia’s poll tax, which citizens had to pay before they could register to vote, violated the U.S. Constitution. The case, combined with a similar suit filed in Fairfax County, reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in Harper v. State Board of Elections(1966) that the poll tax requirement in state elections was unconstitutional. Butts conducted voter registration drives and helped establish Concerned Citizens of Norfolk, which resulted in the election of African Americans to public office.
Evelyn Butts, civil rights activist and community organizer, worked to secure voting rights for African Americans. In 1963 she initiated a federal lawsuit asserting that Virginia’s poll tax, which citizens had to pay before they could register to vote, violated the U.S. Constitution. The case, combined with a similar suit filed in Fairfax County, reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in Harper v. State Board of Elections(1966) that the poll tax requirement in state elections was unconstitutional. Butts conducted voter registration drives and helped establish Concerned Citizens of Norfolk, which resulted in the election of African Americans to public office.
Erected 2020 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number KV-35.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1966.
Location. 36° 51.186′ N, 76° 16.838′ W. Marker is in Norfolk, Virginia. It is in Martin Luther King Jr Plaza. Marker is at the intersection of East Brambleton Avenue and Church Street, on the right when traveling east on East Brambleton Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Norfolk VA 23510, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker
Also see . . . Evelyn Butts. (Submitted on February 7, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
Photographed By Brandon D Cross, January 27, 2022
2. Evelyn Thomas Butts Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 7, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 195 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on February 7, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
