MEET Rupert A. Byrdsong

Both of my parents are graduates of HBCUs. My father, James W. Byrdsong, graduated from Fisk University and my mother, Ruth M. Byrdsong, graduated from Tougaloo College. In addition, my best friend’s father, Julian Blackshear, graduated from Morehouse College and every day upon picking us from school, he would share wonderful stories about the legacy of Morehouse. I was also drawn to an academic environment wherein the focus would be on my intellect and scholarship, not the color of my skin.

Morehouse instilled in me a passion for learning and a passion to pursue excellence. Howard Thurman said “Over the heads of her students, Morehouse holds a crown that she challenges them to grow tall enough to wear.” When you are surrounded by other talented, ambitious brothers who look like you, you have no choice but to excel and to make a difference.

When I finished Morehouse in 1991, I believed that I could accomplish anything to which I set my mind. I understood the significance of the evolution of civil rights and the role HBCUs played in developing leaders for those legal and social battles. My self-confidence and self-awareness became immune and powerful enough to overcome the negative assumptions I would receive just because I am a black man.

In 2001, I became the youngest partner at the largest African-American owned law firm in California, Ivie, McNeill Wyatt, Purcell and Diggs in Los Angeles, California. In 2006, I became the president of the John M. Langston Bar Association, the largest African-American bar in Southern California. In 2021, I was elected President of the Calfornia Judges Association, the largest judges association in the nation.

I was inspired to get into law by my best friend’s father Julian Blackshear, a trial attorney and Morehouse graduate. When he picked us up from school, he told the most wonderful stories about his time at Morehouse and about the different cases he was handling as a lawyer. I was also encouraged by my law professor, Robert Belton when I was his research assistant to pursue employment discrimination. I practiced for 20 years in the employment law domain before I was appointed to the bench in 2014.

Do not settle for anything less than excellence. Be prepared, plan all the way through, and develop a reputation of integrity and reliability.