Book Review

Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality

by Tomiko Brown-Nagin. 512 pages. Pantheon: 2022. Kindle $14.99, Hardover $30.00.

This is the first major biography of one of an extremely influential judges who was an activist lawyer and became the first Black woman appointed to the federal judiciary, serving as a U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

“A must read for anyone who dares to believe that equal justice under the law is possible and is in search of a model for how to make it a reality.” —Anita Hill.

The author is the Civil Rights and legal historian and dean of the Harvard Radcliffe Institute, Tomiko Brown-Nagin.

Motley (1921-2005) was born to a blue-collar family in New Haven, Connecticut, during the Great Depression. In 1945, during Baker's second year at Columbia Law School, future United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall hired her as a law clerk. She worked on court martial cases that were filed after World War II. After graduating from Columbia's Law School in 1946, Baker became a civil rights lawyer anjd the first female lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF). As Associate Counsel to the LDF, she was the lead trial attorney in several early and historically important civil rights cases including representing the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Freedom Riders, and the Birmingham Children Marchers. She visited Rev. King Jr. when he was in jail, as well as spent a night with civil rights activist Medgar Evers under armed guard. In 1950, she wrote the original complaint in the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education.

Among other achievements, she was the first black woman to argue a case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. The only black woman member in the legal team at the NAACP's Inc. Fund then, she defended the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Birmingham, and was a central force in ending Jim Crow laws in the South. Motley also was the first black woman elected to the State Senate in New York (21st district) and the first woman elected Manhattan Borough President.

*****

Sources:

 "Motley, Constance Baker - Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.

 Mrs. Motley Inducted as Federal Judge in The New York Times on September 10, 1966 

 "Rep. Rangel Introduces Resolution Recognizing Life, Achievements of U.S. District Court Judge." US Fed News Service, Including US State News, Feb 28, 2007.

 

Maryland Celebrates Black History Month: Upcoming MCCR Trainings

Racial Justice at Work: Combatting AntiBlackness and Racism in the Workplace In observance of Black History Month, join the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights as we engage in an interactive dialogue regarding racial inequities in the workplace with the goal of helping employees to understand their role in ending those disparities. Topics covered will be discrimination in hiring and disciplinary practices, microaggressions and hostile work environments, racially loaded language and the use of African American Vernacular English as well as attire and workplace policies. Our featured panelists are Attorney Cecilia J. Brown, Certified Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant and Demetrius Noble, Professor of African American & Diaspora Studies department at UNC Greensboro This event will be held virtually on Wednesday February 16, 2022 12PM-2PM EST Register Here on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/racial-justice-at-work-combating-antiblackness-and-racism-in-the-workplace-tickets-260348939687 Presenter Bios: Demetrius Noble (better known as D. Noble) is an activist, teacher and radical cultural worker. He currently serves as an adjunct professor  in the African American & Diaspora Studies department at UNC Greensboro. His research interests include Black Class Antagonisms, African American Literature, Popular Culture and Hip Hop Studies. His work has been published in The African American Review, The Journal of Pan African Studies, The Journal of Black Masculinity, Socialism & Democracy, Works and Days, Cultural Logic, Red Wedge and other leftist digital and print publications. Cecilia J. Brown is a Flint, Michigan native with a passion for justice.  Cecilia graduated from the University of  Washburn Law in 2014,  where she participated in the Trial team and Moot Court Competition team. Cecilia was 1 of 3 African Americans in her law school class and immediately understood her purpose- to be a voice for communities that are not adequately reflected in the American legal system.  Cecilia Nuby & Associates, LLC was formed in 2015,  and focused in the practice of plaintiff employment discrimination, father’s custody rights, and defendant criminal cases. Cecilia Nuby & Associates served hundreds of clients with legal issues ranging from manslaughter to supervisors hanging nooses in the employee common areas.  During practice, Cecilia was made aware of the overwhelming racial disparities in the American Legal System. With a desire to increase her knowledge of and influence on the law, in 2019, Cecilia graciously accepted a 2 year term clerking for the Honorable Judge Thomas Newton at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District. Here Cecilia reviewed every type of case and wrote legal opinions to justly apply the law.  In 2021, Cecilia grew her practice by becoming a Certified Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant. She has a passion for creating fair, equitable and just business  and governmental environments. Her passion is people, her purpose is service.

Victim of Discrimination? Training & Partnerships

UPCOMING EVENTS Fair Housing Basics (Open to the Public) Wednesday February 9th 2022 10am-12pm https://www.eventbrite.com/e/247499446507 Public Accommodations Discrimination Prevention Training (Open to the Public)  Wednesday February 23rd 2022 10am-12pm https://www.eventbrite.com/e/247476146817

Source: MCCR email, February 1, 2022.

Black History Month and the Lunar New Year Begin on February 1st

 

As Delegate Lily Qi, of the Maryland House of Delegates for District 15, said in her February 1st information email, it is fitting these two dates coincide this year as our communities become more diverse and integrated than ever and all of us more accustomed to celebrating different cultures and heritage. However, both special occasions should remind all of us that racial and ethnic integration is far from complete and much work remains to be done.

Black History Month

February 1 is the beginning of Black History Month. Every February, the U.S. honors the contributions and sacrifices of African Americans. Black History Month celebrates their rich cultural heritage, triumphs, and adversities. The 2022 theme, Black Health and Wellness, honors medical scholars and health care providers. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected minority communities and placed at times crushing burdens on Black health care professionals. 

The Month began in 1926 when the "father of Black history" Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) designated the second week of February as "Negro History Week" and galvanized fellow historians through the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, which he founded in 1915. By the late 1960s, Negro History Week had evolved into what is now known as Black History Month. U.S. President Gerald R. Ford officially recognized Black History Month during the 1976 bicentennial, urging Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history." 

Lunar New Year

February 1st also marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, which is celebrated by the Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese communities. This year is the Year of the Tiger. Many Asian cultures historically follow a lunar, rather than solar, calendar, so the Lunar New Year falls on a different day on the Gregorian calendar which the U.S. uses every year: In 2022, Lunar New Year's Eve fell on January 31, and the new year began Tuesday, February 1. While celebrations frequently start the weekend before and continue for weeks after, only the first seven days, January 31 to February 6, are considered public holidays. 

The Lunar New Year is seen as a time of reunion and rebirth, marking the end of winter and the start of spring. The Chinese calendar is on a 12-year cycle, with each year linked to one of a dozen animals -- the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. The year 2022 in the Gregorian calendar is designated the Year of the Tiger, the year of bravery, wisdom, and strength.

*****

Sources:

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/01/1075623826/why-is-february-black-history-month

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month

 

Hi William, During the pandemic, relief efforts led to historically low interest rates. NCRC just published a new report on mortgage lending data from 2020, and who reaped the benefits of historically low rates.  Join us on Wednesday, January 26 at 1 pm ET to hear from the authors of the report, and dig into where mortgage capital flowed as the pandemic was ravaging the economy. Register now Plus see how new HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) data from the CFPB will allow us to look at home mortgage lending in new ways moving forward. Speakers include: Jamie Buell, Racial Economic Equity Coordinator, NCRC Joshua Devine, Director of Racial Economic Equity, NCRC Jason Richardson, Director of Research and Evaluation, NCRC Register now to make sure you don’t miss this important discussion.  Team NCRC

Latest: Press release: NCRC Welcomes OCC Final Rule to Rescind its Disastrous 2020 CRA Rule

Copyright © 2022 NCRC, All rights reserved. We send email updates to NCRC members, contacts and people who opt in via our web site. Our mailing address is: NCRC 740 15th St. NW Suite 400 Washington, DC 20306

Economic Justice: Interreligious Reflections on Fairness and Dignity

A 4-Week Online Course

Thursdays, February 3, 10, 17 & 24

7:00–9:00 PM via Zoom

Register to receive a Zoom link: REGISTER NOW.

When is a society economically just? Can our religious texts and traditions still offer wisdom and insights for grappling with economic justice today? Can interreligious learning inspire us to improve the economic environment in our communities and bring greater opportunity and dignity for all? This course will draw upon Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions to explore how discrepancies in wealth and status affect our religious communities and impact broader society.

About the Instructors:

Heather Miller Rubens, Ph.D., ICJS’ Executive Director and Roman Catholic Scholar, focuses her research on the theoretical, theological, ethical, and political implications of affirming religious diversity and building an interreligious society. 

Benjamin Sax, Ph.D., the ICJS’ Jewish Scholar, is an experienced professor, university administrator, scholar, award-winning teacher, public speaker, and practitioner and facilitator of interreligious dialogue. 

Zeyneb Sayilgan, Ph.D. is the Muslim Scholar at ICJS, where her research centers around Islamic theology and spirituality, Christian-Muslim relations, and the intersection of religion and migration. 

Matthew Taylor, Ph.D. is the ICJS Protestant Scholar, specializing in Muslim-Christian dialogue, Christian theology and interreligious engagement, religious politics in the U.S., and American Islam. 

Course Schedule

Feb 3: Introduction & Catholic Reflections (Heather Miller Rubens):

            Face-to-Face or Shoulder-to-Shoulder Dialogue?

            Dorothy Day & The Deserving/Undeserving Poor

Feb 10: Muslim Reflections on Economic Justice (Zeyneb Sayilgan).

Feb 17: Jewish Reflections on Economic Justice (Ben Sax).

Feb 24: Christian Reflections on Economic Justice (Matt Taylor).

Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies

956 Dulaney Valley Road   I   Baltimore, MD 21204   I   410.494.7161   I   info@icjs.org   I   icjs.org

*****

Source: ICJS, January 21, 2022

Sparrows Point: An American Steel Story

Baltimore's Civil Rights  History

Sparrows Point: an American Steel Story is a six-part series produced by Aaron Henkin in partnership with WYPR. The podcast is the newest part of the BMI’s Bethlehem Steel Legacy Project, a multi-year community engagement and preservation initiative to document the 125-year history of the steelmaking giant made possible through the generous support of Tradepoint Atlantic.

The podcast is supported by Tradepoint Atlantic, Maryland Humanities, and the National Association of Women in Construction.

In 1887, it was an isolated stretch of marshland on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay. By 1958, it was the biggest steel mill in the world. In 2001, it went bankrupt. And by 2015, it was a pile of demolished rubble. Sparrows Point is a story of capitalism, labor unions, race, gender, civil rights, pride, and hubris. It’s the story of American steel.

Listen to episodes here

Trailer

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Bonus Episode

Episode 5

Episode 6

*****

Source: Baltimore Museum of Industry, January 21, 2022.

 

Hi William, During the pandemic, relief efforts led to historically low interest rates. NCRC just published a new report on mortgage lending data from 2020, and who reaped the benefits of historically low rates.  Join us on Wednesday, January 26 at 1 pm ET to hear from the authors of the report, and dig into where mortgage capital flowed as the pandemic was ravaging the economy. Register now Plus see how new HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) data from the CFPB will allow us to look at home mortgage lending in new ways moving forward. Speakers include: Jamie Buell, Racial Economic Equity Coordinator, NCRC Joshua Devine, Director of Racial Economic Equity, NCRC Jason Richardson, Director of Research and Evaluation, NCRC Register now to make sure you don’t miss this important discussion.  Team NCRC

Latest: Press release: NCRC Welcomes OCC Final Rule to Rescind its Disastrous 2020 CRA Rule