Ole Miss is set and ready to talk about Judge Constance Baker Motley.
Motley was a major civil rights activist and a pioneer for American women, serving as the first appointed federal judge under President Lyndon B. Johnson, as well as a lawyer, state senator and Borough President of Manhattan. During the 1950s and ‘60s, Motley worked closely with an elite group of civil rights activists, including Thurgood Marshall and Jack Greenberg, and argued 10 cases before the Supreme Court over the course of her career.
Motley broke through barriers throughout her life not only by being the first African American woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court, but also by succeeding in winning the case which allowed James Meredith to integrate Ole Miss more than fifty years ago. Among other things, during her career as a judge, Motley also ruled female sports broadcasters must be given the right to enter Major League Baseball locker rooms to interview players.
At 6 p.m. tonight at the Overby Center there will be a special screening of the documentary film, “Justice is a Black Woman: The Life and Work of Constance Baker Motely.”
The production team for the documentary included Michael Calia, director of the Quinnipiac University, Ed McMahon, mass communications center director and producer of the film, Susan Bailey, script writer, Lynn Bushnell, executive producer, and Gary Ford, a producer who wrote his dissertation on Judge Motley.
The event, which is co-sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts, School of Law, Overby Center, Provost’s Office and The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, is the first of many events planned to help spark a conversation around campus – a conversation about race.
“The discussion about race is more important than ever, given the current events,” said Richard Forgette, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
Though it might be difficult to start talking, Forgette hopes that by screening the documentary of her life it might become easier to start having conversations about issues we are still facing not only as a community but more recently as a nation.
“I heard about the film from alumnus in Washington, D.C. The documentary seemed like an excellent opportunity for students to learn more about an important civil rights figure,” Forgette said. “Judge Motley’s race and gender are both important parts of her story. This gender perspective of civil rights history is one that is less understood.”
Forgette said he is excited to hear all the different dialogues the screening will spark around the community.
“Any kind of discussion is good to have on any campus,” said Curtis Wilkie, Overby Fellow and Kelly G. Cook Chair of Journalism. “We do not forget our past, the administration hasn’t tried to sweep the events of 1962 under the rug; we are talking about it and it is important for students to talk about it.”
Wilkie points out Motley is largely responsible for making Ole Miss the diverse community it is today. Though he knew her primarily by reputation, he said, Wilkie believed Motley to be a great woman.
“She was here in 2002 in connection with the fortieth anniversary of James Meredith’s admission to the university,” Wilkie said. “She was a wonderful speaker with a great voice.”
