RALEIGH, NC – NAACP North Carolina State Conference joins the people of Charlotte, the legal community, and civil rights advocates across the nation in mourning the passing of Attorney James Ferguson II, who died on July 21, 2025, at the age of 82.
A native of Asheville, North Carolina, and a proud son of the Jim Crow South, NAACP Life Member James “Fergie” Ferguson devoted his life to the pursuit of justice, equality, and dignity for all. As a pioneering civil rights attorney, Ferguson stood at the forefront of the legal battles that shaped modern America. He was co-counsel in the landmark Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education case, which led to the implementation of busing as a tool to desegregate public schools nationwide and changed the course of American education and civil rights law.
Ferguson co-founded North Carolina’s first interracial law firm alongside civil rights giant Julius Chambers. Together, they endured firebombings and threats to defend the constitutional rights of Black North Carolinians. He continued his advocacy on behalf of the Wilmington Ten and later used North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act to successfully challenge death penalty sentences tainted by racial bias. Through it all, Ferguson remained steadfast, courageous, and committed to the principles of justice.
“James Ferguson was more than a brilliant attorney, he was a freedom fighter whose work helped bend the arc of history toward justice,” said NAACP North Carolina State Conference President Deborah D. Maxwell. “He taught us that the law could be a tool for liberation when wielded with principle, persistence, and passion.”
In addition to his courtroom triumphs, Ferguson invested deeply in the next generation of leaders. He spent his time mentoring young lawyers, training trial advocates in apartheid South Africa, and building spaces for Black professionals to gather and thrive, such as his leadership of the Excelsior Club and the Carolina Regional Minority Partnership Coalition.
Ferguson is survived by his three children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. His beloved wife, Barbara, preceded him in death in 2022. NAACP North Carolina State Conference extends its deepest condolences to the Ferguson family and all who were touched by his remarkable life.