Eunice Carter

Who was Eunice Carter?

Eunice Roberta Hunton Carter broke down racial and gender barriers by becoming one of New York's first African American female lawyers, and then becoming one of the first district attorneys of color in the United States.

She was born in Atlanta, the daughter of William Alphaeus Hunton Sr. and Addie Hunton; she graduated from Smith College in Northampton MA, receiving a Bachelor's and then a Master's degree. After a brief time as a social worker, she decided to study law. She became the first black women to receive a law degree from Fordham University in New York City. In mid-May 1933, Eunice Carter passed the Bar Exam in New York.

She soon established a lengthy career in both law and international politics., and in 1935 she became the first black woman assistant district attorney in the state of New York.

As an assistant DA, Carter put together a massive prostitution racketeering case that led eventually to Mafia boss Lucky Luciano. Carter convinced New York District Attorney Thomas Dewey to personally prosecute the case. Luciano was convicted and served ten years, and was then deported. The case generated national fame for Dewey, which he rode to the New York statehouse, and to two unsuccessful runs for the White House. But while Dewey benefited from Carter's prosecutorial skills, he also seemed to have genuine respect for her; she frequently accompanied him to political events in Harlem and elsewhere, and reporters noted that she offered him advice