Annie Coker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Annie Coker (née Stephens) was California's first African-American female lawyer.[1] Coker entering government service for the State of California in 1939, she was responsible for compiling all of the state codes, indexing all bills pending before the California legislature and rendering legal opinions.
Born under the name of Annie Virginia Stephens on April 7, 1903, to William Morris (d. 1932) and Pauline Logan Stephens (d. 1929) in Oakland, California.[2] Her family ran Stephens’ Restaurant, an Oakland establishment off 14th Street near Lake Merritt and one of the first Black-owned businesses in the area. While attending high School, Coker submit the winning nickname, Jewel City,[3] for the Panama–Pacific International Exposition.