CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY (1921 – 2005) was a civil rights activist, lawyer, judge, state senator and borough president.
Born on September 14, 1921, in New Haven, Connecticut, Baker was the ninth of twelve children whose parents emigrated from the Caribbean island of Nevis. While attending school, she was active in the New Haven Youth Council and the New Haven Adult Community Council. Baker joined the local chapter of the (NAACP) when she was denied admission to a local skating rink and public beach. With the help of local philanthropist Clarence Blakeslee, Baker attended Fisk University, a historically black college in Tennessee, before deciding to transfer to New York University. She graduated in 1943 with a degree in economics and went on to receive her law degree from Columbia Law School in 1946 and married Joel Wilson Motley, a real estate and insurance broker.
She began her legal career as a law clerk in the fledgling NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. While at Columbia she became acquainted with Thurgood Marshall, helping file Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. She was the LDF’s first female attorney and became Associate Counsel to the LDF, making her the NAACP’s lead trial attorney. Baker became the first black woman to ever argue a case before the Supreme Court in Meredith v. Fair, which helped James Meredith become the first black student to attend the University of Mississippi in 1962.
Two years later, Baker was elected to the New York Senate, the first black woman to hold that office. The following year she was named Manhattan borough president — the first woman and black person in that position. In 1966, she was appointed a federal judgeship by Lyndon Johnson, becoming the first black female federal court judge. She was appointed senior judge, in 1986, for the Southern District of New York—the largest federal trial court in the United States.
Baker wrote countless articles and legal observations which reflected her stance on civil rights and its importance in America, including: Equal Justice Under Law: The Life of a Pioneer for Black Civil Rights and Women’s Rights. In the article, Baker presents a detailed legal history of her fight against the “separate but equal” racial practices of the 1950s and 1960s.
In 1993, Baker was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Citizen Medal in 2001, and the NAACP awarded her the Spingarn Medal, the organization’s highest honor, in 2003. On September 28, 2005, one week after her eighty-forth birthday, Baker died of congestive heart failure in New York.
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Concrete Loop features ‘Black History Spotlights’ each week honoring black people who have played pivotal roles in history. submissions are welcome.
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I am number 1!!! I love these black history spot lights.. So informative!!
What a great woman of strength and endurance!I I LOVE BLACK PEOPLE!! AND She shares my birthday! Go Virgo! It’s ya birf-day…
I’m from New Haven and her legacy is well known. There is a housing complex named after her here. The black history spotlight is very good.
She was a leader and a role model
That was a wonderful post CL! I have never even heard of Constance Motley, but Im definitely going to do more research on her! Thanks you CL!
Thank you!!!! I have sent this to everyone I know. What a remarkable history lesson!
Insightful! I have my black history for today
This is amazing. I would’ve never guessed in a million years that Manhattan had a black female borough president before. NEVER. and all her other tremendous accomplishments!
Thanks CL!
Love it. Education is GOLDEN, go and get what’s yours. NO ONE can take it away from you.
Awesome woman.
AKA’s Rock!
Keep it coming CL. Excellent job and did I mention I live in NYC!!!!
NICE
A lot of firsts from this lady…love it CL
thanks cl! great spotlight
Damn only 15 comments ! C’mon people ! Everybody had somethign to say about Chance and Real can we have somethiNG to say regarding a positive black person!
Think about it … – Still love my people though ignant as we can be.
Such a great and inspiring woman. We need more of that in our society not the “manky booty shaking Flavor flav loving” females the media have decided to put a spotlight on as representatives of black women as a whole. What you are doing guys is really good and shines a much needed positive light on people like Constance who deserve the spotlight
BIG UP TO THE NEVIS MASSIVE! ISLAND FOLK ARE KNOWN FOR THE TAKEOVER!!!
Wonderful post!! Me loves it!
WOW! I wonder what part of Nevis her family is from, if it’s Cotton Ground, my mother is going to be ecstatic!
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Hey this is great ! I didn’t know this about Ms. Baker Motley. NYU?! Wow – these are the people I am trying to be like!
Wow absolutely amazing!!! I was born in St.kitts which is the sister Island of Nevis you can’t say one without mentioning the other..To know where from the same place, rather have ties to the same place. Just to know that she accomplish so much is compelling to me. I am TRULY inspired. Thanks Concrete Loop!!!
Nevis?
My stepfather is from Nevis. Its such a small island, they probably know each other. LOL!
Great post.
Never heard of a Caribbean island named Nevis. I should probably look it up, research about my island peeps…lol.
Omg im only 10 years old and I am doing a black history month project on her at first I didnt know who she was I said “huh”? and then I learned alot of facts about this woman and she is very intresting.
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