Celebrating 28 Days of Black Excellence. Past and Present: Judge Mary A. Buckner

Throughout the month of February, The Courier Eco Latino honors Black History Month by spotlighting one local African American leader—past or present—each day. The series features trailblazers, educators, entrepreneurs, artists, advocates, and unsung heroes whose contributions have helped shape the soul, strength, and future of our community.

These are stories that may not always make headlines, but make a difference every day. From classrooms to boardrooms, from pulpits to protest lines, from small businesses to grassroots movements, each honoree reflects resilience, leadership, and service rooted right here at home.

Judge Mary A. Buckner, (March 3, 1948 - Sept. 10, 2021) a trailblazing jurist and the first African American woman to graduate from Mercer University’s law school, left an indelible mark on Columbus and the state of Georgia through a career defined by fairness, compassion and service.

Born, in Columbus, Buckner was the fifth of nine children of the late the Rev. Otis Buckner and Beatrice Rogers Buckner. She was educated in Muscogee County public schools and graduated with honors in 1966 from George Washington Carver High School. Even as a teenager, her purpose was clear. Her high school yearbook noted her aspiration to become a lawyer—an uncommon ambition at the time, especially for a young Black woman in the South.

Growing up in a large family with no lawyers, Buckner was driven by a desire to have her voice heard and to effect change in society. That mission guided her academic and professional path. After Carver, she enrolled at Mercer University, earning a bachelor’s degree in history and political science in 1970. She was accepted to Emory Law School and later transferred back to Mercer, where she received her Juris Doctor in 1973 from the Walter F. George School of Law—becoming the first African American female graduate of Mercer Law School.

Buckner began practicing law in 1975 with the firm Bishop and Hudlin, which became Bishop and Buckner, P.C., in 1978. After her law partner, Sanford Bishop’s election to the U.S. Congress in 1992, she opened her own private practice.

Her judicial career broke barriers as well. In February 1984, Buckner became the first African American woman appointed Judge Pro Tem of the Columbus Recorder’s Court. In 1991, she was appointed by the City Council to serve full time, where she earned a reputation for integrity and empathy on the bench.

Beyond the courtroom, Buckner was a tireless civic leader. She volunteered with the Columbus Community Center, served as past president of the Columbus Technical College Board, and held leadership roles with Georgia Legal Services. She was a board member of the A.J. McClung YMCA, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a foster parent for the state of Georgia. Her commitment to children led her to foster care, where she met Jontell, who became her legal son and, by all accounts, the love of her life. The two were inseparable.

Buckner’s professional affiliations included the State Bar of Georgia, the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the Columbus Bar Association and the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys.

Her honors reflected a lifetime of service: the Tony Baldwin Trailblazer Award from Mercer University’s Black Law Students Association Alumni Council; the Barbara A. Harris Award for Service to the Community; and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Gamma Tau Omega Chapter’s 2009 Rosa Parks Women of Courage honor.

To young people especially, Buckner consistently delivered a simple message—that any goal is attainable through hard work, dedication and commitment. As a judge, she believed in the rule of law while never losing sight of humanity. She wanted her legacy to reflect fairness tempered by compassion.

Judge Mary Alice Buckner’s life was a testament to faith, leadership and love—painted boldly on the canvas of service to family, community and justice. She is survived by a grateful community she helped shape.