Zanzye H.A. Hill: Nebraska’s First African American Woman Admitted to the Bar
Zanzye H.A. Hill
Legacy Maker | Barrier-Breaking Legal Pioneer
Story by Aniya Porter
Zanzye H.A. Hill made history in 1929 as the first African American woman admitted to practice law in Nebraska, marking a milestone in the state’s legal history during an era defined by racial and gender exclusion. Although admitted to the Nebraska bar, records from the Office of the Supreme Court Clerk indicate that Hill did not actively practice law in the state.
Born in Yazoo City, Mississippi, Hill was raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she distinguished herself academically and culturally from an early age. She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1924 and earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 1927. In 1929, Hill became UNL’s first African American female law graduate, and first Black woman admitted to the Nebraska Bar Association.
Hill’s achievement unfolded during a period when opportunities for African Americans, particularly women, in the legal profession were exceedingly rare. At the university, she was active in campus life, contributing to poetry to student publications, participating in the university vesper choir as its only Black member, and engaging with the Interracial Commission of the university YWCA. She was also affiliated with Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, one of the nation’s oldest Black Greek-letter organizations.
Following law school, Hill’s professional path took her outside Nebraska. She briefly taught at Tuskegee Institute and later served as chief counsel for an insurance company in Arkansas, demonstrating both legal expertise and professional adaptability in segregated America.
Hill’s life was tragically brief. She died in 1935 in Mississippi at the age of 29, cutting short what had already been a groundbreaking career. Despite her early death, her admission to the Nebraska bar established a precedent that would not be repeated for nearly two decades.
In 1948, Elizabeth Davis Pittman became the second African American woman admitted to the Nebraska bar and later achieved additional historic firsts, becoming Nebraska’s first African American woman judge. Pittman was also the first African American person appointed as a judge in the state.
In 1982, Hill was posthumously recognized as one of five historical Nebraskans during the state’s first Women’s History Week, affirming the significance of her contributions to Nebraska’s legal and civic legacy. Zanzye H.A. Hill’s legacy continues to inspire generations, a testament to courage, perseverance, and the pursuit of justice.
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