r. jess brown united states courthouse. r. jess brown was a towering figure in the history of the civil rights movement. in the south and especially in the state of mississippi. he was a native son of kansas, born in coffeyville, kansas, raised in oklahoma. he attended law school in texas southern university and practiced law in mississippi, starting in 1953 and continuing through the latter civil rights era. as associate down sill -- counsel for the national association of naacp legal defense and education fund, mr. brown filed the first civil rights suit in mississippi in the 1950's. the suit filed in jefferson -davis county sought the enforcement of the right of black citizens to become registered voters. in 1961 brown represented james meredith in his suit to be allowed to be entered to the university of mississippi. his victory in this case opened the doors of that university to all the mississippi's citizens. while working with the naacp legal defense fund, brown played a major role in fighting discrimination in the areas