Mahala Ashley Dickerson | |
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| Born | Mahala Ashley October 12, 1912 |
| Died | February 19, 2007 (aged 94) Wasilla, Alaska, United States |
| Resting place | Wasilla, Alaska |
| Citizenship | American |
| Alma mater | Fisk University; Howard University School of Law |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Spouse(s) | Henry Dickerson (m. 1938–1939); Frank R. Beckwith (m. 1951–ca. 1958) |
| Children | Alfred Dickerson, John Dickerson, and Henri Christophe "Chris" Dickerson |
| Parent(s) | Hattie (Moss) and John Augustine Ashley |
| Awards | Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement honoree (1995) |
Mahala Ashley Dickerson (October 12, 1912 – February 19, 2007) was an American lawyer and civil rights advocate for women and minorities. In 1948 she became the first African American female attorney admitted to the Alabama State Bar; in 1951 she was the second African American woman admitted to the Indiana bar; and in 1959 she was Alaska's first African American attorney. In 1983 Dickerson was the first African American to be elected president of the National Association of Women Lawyers. Her long legal career also helped to pave the way for other women attorneys. In 1995 the American Bar Association named her a Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement honoree.