William Ashbie Hawkins

William Ashbie Hawkins (1862–1941) was one of Baltimore's first African American lawyers.^[1] He was born in Lynchburg, Virginia on August 2, 1862 to Reverend Robert and Susan Cobb Hawkins. He graduated in 1885 from Centenary Biblical Institute (later to become Morgan College), and the University of Maryland (1891), and Howard University (1892). He was admitted to the Maryland bar in 1897. About 1905 Hawkins joined forces with George W.F. McMechen (brother of his wife Ada M. McMechen) in the firm of Hawkins and McMechen.

The two lawyers were central figures in battling the city's landmark segregation law, which was initially established in 1910.^[2] McMechen had moved into the 1800 block of McCulloh Street in northwest Baltimore, in a section that was still predominantly white. This perceived incursion was partially responsible for an effort by white Baltimoreans to institute a municipal, racial segregation law that was the first of its kind.

His biggest professional mark came in 1917 before the U.S. Supreme Court in Buchanan v. Warley. He served as counsel to the Baltimore chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Afro-American newspapers.^[3] In 1920, Hawkins was nominated by an independent group of African-American Republicans for United States Senate.^[4] His nomination was ultimately unsuccessful.

Hawkins died from heart disease on April 3, 1941 at Provident Hospital and was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery.^[1]

One of Hawkins grandsons, Cromwell Ashbie Hawkins West, refashioned a Hispanic and Native American background for himself and went by Red Thunder Cloud.^[5]

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