Hugo L. Black | Oyez
From a rural county and a humble beginning, Hugo LaFayette Black refused to let his past dictate his future. Black was born on February 27, 1886, in Harlan, Alabama. He was the eighth and last child of Martha Toland and William Black, who lived on a farm for the first three years of Black’s life. Black’s mother greatly valued education and ran a strict house. She made their clothes, milked the cows, and tended to her garden. His father was a prosperous storekeeper who earned a good living. After the family moved to Ashland, Alabama, the children were able to attend a good school. Black spent much of his time playing sports and games like horseshoe. However, he also had the same sense of business as his father. At the age of six, he started to watch lawyers present their cases, often wondering how he might have asked the same question differently or presented the issue. Black was a gifted student with a reading level beyond his years. His love of books came from his mother, who also tau
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