Michael Anthony Figures (October 13, 1947 – September 13, 1996) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the Alabama Senate from the 33rd district from 1978 until his death in 1996. He served as the body's president pro tempore after he was elected to the position in 1995. His wife Vivian Davis Figures succeeded him in office after his death. Figures argued a wrongful death civil suit against the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...

for the lynching of Michael Donald, winning a judgment that bankrupted the United Klans of America.

Early life

Figures was born on October 13, 1947, in

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

. His father worked as a groundskeeper for International Paper and a sexton for a church. Figures graduated from Hillsdale High School, an all-Black high school, earned a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

at Stillman College in 1969, and earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1972. He was one of the first three Black graduates of the school.

Career

Figures worked in law firms in Greene County and Selma, where he worked with J. L. Chestnut Jr. In 1978, Figures ran for the Alabama Senate in the 33rd district. He defeated incumbent Mike Perloff in the Democratic Party's primary election. He became one of three Black members of the Alabama Senate. During his first term in office, Figures took part in a filibuster against the death penalty. Figures sponsored the bill that created the "Helping Schools" car tags, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for Alabama schools each year. In 1982, Figures and Joe L. Reed, the chair of the Alabama Democratic Conference (ADC) had a falling out over endorsements. Figures wanted to endorse George McMillan for governor of Alabama, but the ADC had not made an endorsement. In 1984, Figures endorsed Jesse Jackson for

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

and served as the Alabama state chair of his presidential campaign. Afterwards, he decided to form the New South Coalition to endorse progressive candidates and causes. After the lynching of Michael Donald in 1981, Figures was called to the scene when the body was discovered. Two members of the

were arrested for the murder and Thomas Figures, Michael's brother and an assistant district attorney, tried them and earned convictions for the murder. Michael Figures and Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty Law Center represented Donald's mother, Beulah Mae Donald, in a civil suit for wrongful death against the United Klans of America (UKA). In 1987, they won a $7 million judgment ($ in current dollar terms) against the UKA, bankrupting the organization. In January 1995, the Alabama Senate elected Figures as president pro tempore.

Personal life

Figures was married to Vivian Davis Figures, who served on Mobile's city council. They had four sons. Their son

Shomari Figures Shomari Coleman Figures (born September 3, 1985) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from Alabama's 2nd congressional district since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Figures was first elected in 2024 with 54.6% ...

is the Democratic nominee for the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

in Alabama's 2nd congressional district in 2024. Figures became ill on September 11, 1996, and had surgery to repair an intracranial aneurysm at University of South Alabama Medical Center the following day. He died there on September 13, 1996. Vivian won the special election to succeed Michael in the state senate.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Figures, Michael 1947 births 1996 deaths Democratic Party Alabama state senators Stillman College alumni University of Alabama School of Law alumni Activists for African-American civil rights American civil rights lawyers Lawyers from Mobile, Alabama Figures family 20th-century members of the Alabama Legislature