Americans are living in a new era of how it supports its national leaders. In a country of divided politics and ideals, leaders must pick a side if they want to play in the game. Blacks are no different. In a world where everyone and everything is open to criticism, the term leader takes on a whole new meaning.
Attorney Ben Crump does not use today’s standards to determine how he is going to be perceived. He understands that not everyone is going to agree with his choice of cases he takes, how he addresses the nation, or how he goes about his business fighting for Black America.
Crump, considered to be Black America’s attorney general, travels across the country to fight for the rights of those who are in situations that require seasoned representation. He often picks his cases using two sets of criteria.
“I often use the process that the great Thurgood Marshall used when he decided on the cases he would take,” Crump continued, “Marshall said, ‘take the case that will impact the most people. And take the case that will shock the legal system.’”
Benjamin Lloyd Crump was born on October 10, 1969, in Lumberton, North Carolina. He specializes in civil rights and catastrophic personal injury cases such as wrongful death lawsuits. His practice has focused on cases such as those of Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, George Floyd, Keenan Anderson, Randy Cox, and Tyre Nichols, people affected by the Flint water crisis, the estate of Henrietta Lacks, and the plaintiffs behind the 2019 Johnson & Johnson baby powder lawsuit alleging the company’s talcum powder product led to ovarian cancer diagnoses. Crump is also the founder of the firm Ben Crump Law of Tallahassee, Florida.
Ben Crump’s office is wherever the next case is. He travels the country tirelessly to represent those who have been wronged by the system. He fights for Blacks in the past, present, and future. He has won cases that no one else can win, and he is determined that if Blacks stay committed, the war for equality can be won.
In 2025, Crump’s mission was to make sure that Blacks understood the mission at hand. With every law erased, with every policy eliminated, and with every gain destroyed, it is ever clearer that Blacks need to rally and join in the fight to maintain and thrive going forward.
And he is not wrong. Any gains made for Blacks over the last 50 to 70 years have either been eliminated or attacked by the current federal administration. But it goes a step further. Policy is not the only place where Blacks are suffering. National statistics show that Blacks are suffering from changes in the employment market, too.
Positions typically held by Blacks are under attack as the classification of a degreed profession is no longer deemed degreed. Blacks are being eliminated from white collar positions as well. Companies no longer feel obligated to hire Blacks or maintain a certain number of minority employees.
Black suffering has increased across the board, whether it be financial, academic, or political. Crump and his team understand where the country is and implore Black Americans to fight the good fight.
“Remember what Frederick Douglass said, ‘without struggle, there can be no progress.’” Crump continued, “He wanted people to know that you cannot get depressed because of the struggle, you cannot be discouraged because of the struggle, if anything, we have to celebrate the struggle because as long as we are in the struggle, that means that our Black children have a better day coming.”
Crump quotes past leaders when referencing today’s problems, which underscores the fact that the problems Blacks face are not new. However, how Blacks address today’s struggles is new.
Gone are the days when Black people all lived in the same community. Gone are the days when the Black church was the center of the movement for equality and rights, and gone are the Black-owned publications that spread the word and kept the community abreast of what was going on.
Today, Blacks live everywhere. The Black church has been reduced to a few songs and speeches, and social media is the new pipeline for information—tough conditions for a national figure to rally the troops to all get on the same page.
By today’s standards, Crump feels like he is the last national figure to hold Black America’s attention. Today, people often listen to the message, not the messenger. Black America’s appetite to tear down its musicians, actors, and political leaders is stronger than ever. If Crump is going to have an impact, he must be different.
And different he is. Crump is still powerful because he lives with integrity. You will not find any content that blemishes his resume. Crump does not have a need to sell a ticket or work for political gain. As a working attorney, he makes his money in the old-fashioned way: he earns it. He has no agenda other than to fight for the rights of those in need. Simply put, Crump cannot be cancelled. Knowing that makes him a very powerful figure in the fight for justice for all Blacks.
It is very clear what he stands for when you see the kinds of cases he takes.
- Erica McGriff: Crump is representing McGriff, who alleges she was subjected to excessive force, including a chokehold and being punched, during an arrest outside a school in Jacksonville, FL.
- William McNeel Jr.: Crump is representing McNeel, who claims he was brutally beaten and suffered a brain injury during a traffic stop in Jacksonville, after being pulled over for allegedly not having his headlights on in daylight.
- Henrietta Lacks estate: Crump filed a lawsuit against Thermo Fisher, alleging the company profited from the DNA of Henrietta Lacks without the family’s consent.
- Crump continues to represent families in police brutality and civil rights cases across the country.
- He is also known for his work on high-profile cases like those of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, where his firm helped negotiate substantial settlements.
These are just a few of the cases that Crump’s team has taken on in order to right the wrongs against them.
The Crump law firm receives over 50,000 calls a month from people who seek representation. Crump takes the cases that will have the most impact when the verdict is read.
One recent case Crump has taken is the Massillon, Ohio, high school football team case, where the local police pepper-sprayed the Black football team during a heated standoff at the end of a football game against a white school. Crump knew taking that case would send a message to Black kids across the country.
We took that case because I want Black kids all over the country to know that their rights are worth protecting too,” Crump said. “We have to send a message as early as possible that these kids that protected by the law, and they are worth fighting for.”
Crump feels like it is important for Black youth to protect their rights. He knows that if they feel like they did not have the voice of protection as young adults, they would grow into adults who would not seek legal justice when they encounter abuse.
“We need to send a powerful message to our Black children and set the precedent early that they, too, are important, and the laws protect them as well,” Crump said.
As 2025 draws to a close, Blacks are learning that their expectations of equality and fairness have been reduced. They are beginning to understand that there is no amount of preparation, education or advancement in life that will protect them from injustice.
The last option on the table is for Blacks to come together, to vote together, and to fight the good fight together, in solidarity as a block.
Crump encourages all Blacks and anyone who might feel marginalized to join an organization and give back to help the cause. Crumps feels like everyone needs to belong to something that creates union and membership. The best way for everyone to win is for everyone to participate in the process.
Powerful words from one of the country’s last leaders. CODE M uses a difficult process to determine who should be the man of the year. With so much at stake, with so much at risk, the magazine does not take the decision on who is going to grace the cover of the magazine lightly.
The tagline of the magazine is, “Transforming the lives of men.” The person who becomes our man of the year must do exactly that. He must represent the best of us, he must be an example to all of America what Black America looks like when you combine honor with class, and education with determination.
We salute and honor Ben Crump for his shining example of what Black America looks like when it takes advantage of all of its opportunities. Congratulations, Ben Crump, CODE M Magazine’s 2025 Man of the Year!
