Earl Hilliard Jr.

Earl F. Hilliard, Jr. is the son of former Congressman Earl Hilliard, Sr., who was the first African-American elected to Congress from Alabama since Reconstruction. He was elected in November 2006 to represent House District 60 in the Alabama State Legislature. He is an attorney and filmmaker in Birmingham, Alabama. Representative Hilliard attended Morehouse College, where he earned a B.A. in Marketing with a minor in Film. From there he attended the University of Alabama Law School and Howard University School of Law, and received a Juris Doctorate degree from Howard. Representative Hilliard also studied acting and filmmaking at the Maryland Academy of Dramatic Arts, the Hollywood Film Institute, and Greenway Arts Alliance in Los Angeles. After completing law school, Representative Hilliard worked as a Civic Affairs Specialist in Corporate External Affairs for The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta. Subsequently, he worked in Washington, D.C. as the Director of Government Relations for Morehouse College. He is now an attorney with the law firm of Hilliard, Smith & Hunt, LLC and is President of Magic City Films, Inc. Representative Hilliard is a member of Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church of North Pratt. He is also a member of the following organizations: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the Screen Actors Guild, and the Greater Birmingham Foster and Adoptive Parent Association. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and the Birmingham/Jefferson County Film Advisory Board. He and his wife, Janine, have two children: Earl, III and Nya Nicole. As of 2010, he is a candidate for the Congressional seat formerly held by his father.