Steven Holt: “the Honorable A. Leon Higginbotham, who recently passed away at the age of 70, was a highly esteemed jurist, renowned…”

“the Honorable A. Leon Higginbotham, who recently passed away at the age of 70, was a highly esteemed jurist, renowned scholar, noted lecturer, and civil rights leader. But the citizens of central New Jersey had a special connection to Judge Higginbotham. For them, particularly the African-American community, he served as a shining example of hope for the future. A native of Ewing, New Jersey located in my Congressional District, Judge Higginbotham was widely known in his youth as a talented musician and excellent student. At a time when professional and academic possibilities for blacks were severely limited, his outstanding accomplishments represented hope that such success was within the reach of all our children. The African-American community knew that he was forced to live in an unheated attic room because his college had no housing for blacks. They knew of the struggle he endured at Yale Law School and during his early years in the legal profession. But his perseverance and refusal to settle for anything less than excellence made Leon Higginbotham a living symbol of the possibilities for all children. I am proud to take this time to salute Judge Higginbotham, and on behalf of all the citizens of the 12th Congressional District, would like to express my condolences to his family.”