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Dr. Leroy Frazier
Share This PostPhi Beta Sigma Sigma Chapter Bro. Dr. Leroy Frazier recognized for the Landmark Frazier v. Callicutt Voting Rights Victory
Posted on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 5:03 AM
On September 20, 2026, The Atlanta Rust College Alumni Club, in partnership with the Rust College International Alumni Association, proudly commemorated the 52nd anniversary of Frazier v. Callicutt, 383 F. Supp. 15 (N.D. Miss. 1974)—a landmark federal voting-rights case won on September 18, 1974, that helped establish an important precedent concerning the voting rights of college and university students.
At the center of this historic legal battle was Bro. Dr. Leroy Frazier, who, at just 22 years old, served as the lead plaintiff in Frazier v. Callicutt. He was joined by seven other Rust College students in challenging barriers affecting student voter registration in Mississippi. According to the historical account highlighted by the Atlanta Rust College Alumni Club, the case represented the first federal voter-registration lawsuit filed and won by college students in Mississippi and was among the early cases of its kind involving students from a historically Black college or university (HBCU). The ruling was subsequently incorporated into the Mississippi Election Code.
A Defining Moment in Black History
The significance of Frazier v. Callicutt extends beyond the courtroom. The case became part of the continuing struggle to ensure that college students could exercise their constitutional right to participate in the electoral process.
The case has been:
- Cited in 18 court rulings, including decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court;
- Referenced in more than 16 publications;
- Recognized for its impact on student voter registration rights; and
- Associated with continuing efforts to encourage civic participation among college and university students.
Bro. Dr. Frazier's experience as a young college student plaintiff illustrates the power of students to engage directly in the democratic process and pursue change through the legal system.
“Young people have the power to change this country.”
— Dr. Leroy Frazier
Bro. Dr. Leroy Frazier is a Spring 2026 Graduate of the Sigma Justice Alliance Cohort II. And served on the 2025-2026 Georgia Sigma-Zeta Legislative Taskforce and is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Sigma Chapter's Social Action Committee.
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