James Ferguson II, a Charlotte civil rights lawyer whose landmark cases desegregated schools nationwide died July 21, 2025 at 82. Ferguson, an Asheville native, was also a co-founder of North Carolina’s first interracial law firm. By Julia Coin and Maia Nehme

Ferguson and Julius Chambers represented the Swann family in a landmark lawsuit against the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board. The case led school districts nationwide to begin busing students to integrate schools.

James Ferguson II, a prominent civil rights lawyer from Charlotte known for his role in desegregating schools nationwide, has passed away at the age of 82.