DeWine, Voinovich Support Bill to Award Congressional Gold Medal to Judge Motley

DEWINE, VOINOVICH SUPPORT BILL TO AWARD CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO JUDGE MOTLEY

Senators Mike DeWine (R-OH) and George V. Voinovich (R-OH) have co-sponsored S. 2235, a bill introduced by Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), which calls on Congress to posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to Judge Constance Baker Motley. Judge Motley was the first African-American woman appointed to the federal judiciary and the first African-American woman to serve as Chief Judge of the Southern District of New York, the largest federal trial bench in the country. Before becoming a judge, she was a renowned civil rights lawyer and public servant, and was steadfastly committed to social justice.

"Through one of the most contentious times in U.S. history, Constance Baker Motley's intelligence and determination helped protect for all Americans their rights promised in the Constitution," said Senator DeWine. "We should remember the impact that Constance Baker Motley has had on generations of Americans by awarding her the Congressional Gold Medal. Her memory and achievements will serve as an inspiration for years to come."

"For nearly 40 years, Judge Constance Baker Motley served her country with honor and distinction. Through her eminent career at the forefront of the civil rights movement, she advocated constructive social change and worked to safeguard the rights of all people. Her commitment to justice stands as a sterling example of the impact one person can have on society, and she should be recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal for her lifetime of significant achievements," said Senator Voinovich.

Judge Motley's parents immigrated to America from the Caribbean Island of Nevis. After graduating from high school, she took a position with the National Youth Administration. Philanthropist Clarence Blakelee was so impressed by Motley's intelligence and oration that he offered to finance her college education. Judge Motley graduated from New York University in 1943. In 1946, she received her law degree from Columbia University.

Judge Motley joined Thurgood Marshall on the legal staff of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund when she was a senior at Columbia Law School. After graduation, she became the NAACP's principal trial attorney.

For two decades, Judge Motley worked closely with Marshall and other leading civil rights lawyers to dismantle segregation throughout the country. She was the only female attorney on the legal team that won Brown v. Board of Education. She went on to argue 10 major civil rights cases before the Supreme Court, winning all but one of them, including James Meredith's fight to gain admission to the University of Mississippi.

After nearly 20 years with the NAACP, Judge Motley became the first African-American woman elected to the New York State Senate. In February of 1965, she became the first woman elected by the Manhattan members of the New York City Council to serve as President of the Borough of Manhattan. During this time, Judge Motley worked tirelessly to revitalize the inner city and improve urban housing and public schools.

Also in the early 1960s, she successfully argued for 1,000 school children to be reinstated in Birmingham, Ala., after the local school board expelled them for demonstrating. She represented "Freedom Riders" who rode buses to test the Supreme Court's 1960 ruling prohibiting segregation in interstate transportation. During this time, she represented Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as well, defending his right to march in Birmingham and Albany, GA.

When President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Judge Motley to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in 1966, she became the first African-American woman appointed to the federal judiciary. When Judge Motley became Chief Judge on June 1, 1982, she was the first woman and the first African-American woman to serve as such for the Southern District of New York, the largest federal trial bench in the country. She served as Chief Judge until October 1, 1986, when she assumed senior status. She served with distinction for nearly four decades, until she passed away on September 28, 2005.

Congressional Gold Medals are reserved for individuals worthy of the highest level of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions, particularly in the area of civil rights. Judge Motley's life exemplifies such criteria, and she should be honored in the same way as other great leaders, including Rosa Parks (1999), Dr. Dorothy Height (2003), and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King (2004).

The bill, which will posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to the late Judge Constance Baker Motley, was introduced on February 1, 2006, in recognition of the start of Black History Month.

http://dewine.senate.gov/