N.C. Supreme Court Removing Portrait of Former Chief Justice Who Owned Slaves

The N.C. Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it will remove a portrait of a former chief justice from its courtroom who staunchly defended slavery and owned slaves himself.

Thomas Ruffin, a slave owner in the 1800s, believed an owner’s power over his slave was absolute. {snip}

{snip}

A smaller portrait of Ruffin was removed from an Orange County courthouse earlier this year, as was a statue of him from the entrance of the N.C. Court of Appeals building. The appeals building was once named after him.

Outgoing state Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley said in a statement that a Supreme Court seal will replace Ruffin’s portrait in the court.

{snip}

She called the decision to remove the portrait “a tremendous reflection of the progress that has been made since the time Chief Justice Ruffin served on the court.”