Income inequality and racism still exist in many countries as major social problems. Racism, especially, has been passed down through many generations in the United States. While some people believe racism is one of the driving factors of income inequality, the wealth gap between the white and the black nowadays seems so huge that coming to a resolution may seem impossible. Meanwhile, there is a figure who provides necessary, legal support for those who receive relatively less attention and support from the society. Let’s take a look into Benjamin Crump, a civil rights lawyer.

Benjamin Crump was born in Lumberton, North Carolina. In his fourth year of elementary school, he went to school in North Lumberton, a predominantly white neighborhood, and got to see how different their society was to the one in which he used to live. He realized how poor his neighborhood and school were, and at the same time, he heard the reason he could attend a better school was thanks to a civil right lawyer. That was the turning point when he decided to become a civil rights lawyer himself, to help people in similar environments to his so that every American can pursuit happiness and is given fair opportunities.[1] With that dream intact throughout his teenage years, he graduated from Florida State University, earned a law degree, and began his career as a lawyer. When he had just begun his career as a lawyer, he tried to become supportive for anyone he met, regardless of their field. As more and more people visited him, he started to make a name for himself, allowing him to take cases which received a lot of social attention, one of which was representing George Floyd's[2] bereaved family in 2020. Moreover, Benjamin Crump runs a blog called “Ben Crump – Trial Lawyer for Justice”, offering free legal advice. Through his blog, he heavily criticized that the Floyd case shows not only the structural failure of the American society but also the racism prevalent in the system. Legal cases Ben Crump took were not limited to individuals; he also took class action, one of which is representing residents of Flint, Michigan in the case of the "Flint Water Crisis.”[3] He fulfilled his responsibility as a civil rights lawyer and firmly demonstrated his belief that helping those who receive little support from the society is an act of serving the society and realization of justice. His continuous effort has granted him another designation called "Black America's Attorney General" and he is regarded as a prominent American lawyer and a leading advocate for social justice.

Benjamin Crump was not born and raised in the most outstanding environment. But with his memory of seeing one of the white neighborhoods that was so different from the ones he grew up, he has continuously put efforts to help more people see the world he saw. The direction of his efforts has always been towards people who were treated unfairly, and people praise his efforts and objectives to this day.