32
Dear Friends,
hroughout this past year, a number of peo-ple have asked me why the Howard Uni-versity School of Law was devoting so
much time and attention to thecommemoration of the 50thanniversary of the SupremeCourt’s decision in Brown v.Board of Education of Topeka,Kansas, et al. My first reactionis lighthearted. I note that forall intents and purposes,Howard Law School “owns”that case. The significantlawyers and strategists whobrought those cases to theSupreme Court were eithergraduates of or professors atHoward University. The otherreaction, of course, is muchmore serious. When one thinksof legal decisions that have affected the qualityof life of people in this country and around theworld, Brown stands out as one of those cases.Therefore, to understand contemporary Americaand contemporary law, one must understandand appreciate Brown.
It is important to note, however, that we didnot use Brown@50 commemorative events solelyas a journey down memory lane. As I have saidoften, it is our intention to build on the past, notrest on the past. We have used this time to reflecton the relevance of the charge made by CharlesHamilton Houston to be social engineers. Thatcharge is as meaningful to us today as it waswhen he uttered it more than 70 years ago.
The Howard University School of Law’ssocial engineers are engaged in a variety of proj-
ects designed to improve the quality of life forpeople in the United States and in other coun-tries. The law school recently hosted conferenceson Biodiversity for Food Security on World FoodDay and held the second annual Intellectual
Property Law Seminar, a high-ly regarded continuing legaleducation program. Studentsare showing a strong interestin environmental justice mat-ters, which in turn, leads us toimprove course offerings inthis area. It is clear that ourgraduates will continue toinfuse social justice concernsinto all areas of the practice oflaw.
In this edition of The Juristwe try to convey—primarilythrough pictures—a sense ofthe activities and intellectualinterests under way at the law
school. Literally and figuratively, these are onlysnapshots of life of the law school. We invite youto visit whenever you can to learn more aboutour efforts to build on the great tradition ofRobert Carter, Oliver Hill, Charles HamiltonHouston, Justice Thurgood Marshall, JamesNabrit, and thousands of other social engineers.
Kurt L. SchmokeDean, Howard University School of Law
*Just before we went to press with this issue, welearned of the death of Ossie Davis. As you will see inthe pages that follow, Mr. Davis was a prominent partof our Brown@50 celebration. We dedicate this issueto his memory.
T
THE JURIST 1
Dean: Kurt L. Schmoke • Publications Manager and Editor: Jacqueline C. Young, M.S. • EditorialAssistance: Lisa Bradford, Dione Duckett, Barbara Hart, Altheria Myers • Photography: HowardUniversity School of Law Photo Archives, Marvin T. Jones & Associates, Jason Miccolo Johnson, Somephotos were provided as a courtesy. • Production and Design: Print Graphics Inc. • Printing: ClassicPress Inc.
The Jurist is published by the Howard University School of Law. It is distributed to alumni, staff, facul-ty, and friends of the university. Letters and items of interest are welcome. Please address all correspon-dence to: The Jurist, Howard University School of Law, 2900 Van Ness Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.,20008, (202) 806-8084, www.law.howard.edu.
© 2005 by Howard University School of Law
2004 Commemorative Issue • Volume 14, Number 1
Feature Article
13 Children Who Led the Desegregation RevolutionBy Cynthia R. Mabry ’80
Brown@50: Fulfilling the Promise:The Year in Photos
3 The Lawyers Who Defeated "Separate But Equal"
5 Race and Rights: Brown v. Board of Education and the Problems of Segregation, Desegregation, and Resegregation in the United States
6 The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education: Reflections on theLast 50 Years
9 James M. Nabrit Jr. Day
12 Brown@50: Making the Illusory Promise A Reality
17 Marching Toward Justice
20 Commencement 2004
25 More Scenes from 2004
Departments
2 On the Campus of Howard Law
21 Hearsay
23 Alumni Weekend 2005
26 The Last Word
Charles J. Ogletree
Members of the class of 1954
Jesse Jackson Jr.
On the cover (l to r): Roderick D. Gillum, Rita Dove, Irvin D. Reid, Ossie Davis, Kurt L. Schmoke,Ruby Dee, Damon J. Keith, Mrs. Damon Keith, L. Douglas Wilder, and Okianer Christian Dark.
2 THE JURIST
The law school was the recipient of the DC Bar Association’sThurgood Marshall Award, for its “role in training and supportingthe lawyers who 50 years ago prevailed in Brown v. Board ofEducation and Bolling v. Sharpe.” Law school faculty, students,staff, and alumni were on hand to receive the prestigious honor.Pictured are (front row, l to r) Professors Cynthia R. Mabry,Okianer Christian Dark, Laurence C. Nolan, Tamar Meekins, andLateef Mtima. Back row (l to r), Alesia Black, Altheria Myers,Robie Beatty ’70, Angela Ramson, Dean Schmoke, DC BarPresident Shirley Ann Higuchi, Dione Duckett, Gabrielle Cantave,Lani Shaw, Carmiece Graves, and Miesha Darrough.
(Left to right) Michael Nemeroff, Michelle Jones, Mrs. CeciliaMarshall, Dean Schmoke, and Drew Days at the inaugural WileyA. Branton Memorial Symposium, held November 12, 2004. Jones,a second-year law student, received the Wiley A. Branton ScholarAward for 2004. The award is given annually by the law firmSidley Austin Brown & Wood to the Howard law student with thehighest GPA after their first year of study.
Howard Law School Hosts FirstWiley A. Branton Memorial Symposium
oward Law was the place to be in 2004. Not only did the law school commemorate the 50thanniversary of Brown v. Board of Education with an array of programs, we pinned a new class,
received awards, honored our students and faculty, and recognized the accomplishments of our alum-ni. What a year!
President H. Patrick Swygert ’68 andAlumnus Candace Byrd ’94, pinned mem-bers of the class of 2007. (Left) Students,administration, and alumni joined hands atthe pinning ceremony.
H
Panelists at the inaugural symposium fellowship duringthe luncheon. Topics covered included employment dis-crimination, alternative dispute resolution, and housingdiscrimination. Pictured (l to r) are Lawrence R. Baca,Reginald Oh, Ingra Watkins, William (Bill) L. Robinson,Judith Kilpatrick, Michael Z. Green, and LamontStallworth. The symposium papers will be published in theHoward Law Journal.
Photos by Jason Miccolo Johnson
Photos by Marvin T. Jones &
Associates
Photo courtesy of the DC
Bar Association.
THE JURIST 3
Charles T. Duncan
The Honorable Louis H. Pollak
Julian R. Dugas ’49The Honorable Robert L. Carter ’40
Oliver W. Hill Sr. ’33
Fifty years later...
4 THE JURIST
oward University School of Law began itsjourney to May 17, 2004, with the Brown
Lawyers Panel, including some of the originaljurists who argued Brown and Bolling v.Sharpe. (We regret that Charles Duncan took illbefore the program and was unable to come).Duncan’s contributions and those of otherBrown lawyers were vividly recalled by theesteemed panelists. Dr. Genna Rae McNeil,(pictured above with Dean Schmoke andProfessor Okianer Christian Dark) moderatedthe program, which received national mediaattention. “You honor us with your pres-ence,” she said.
Standing (l to r): Seth Adam Meinero ’98,Dugas, Dr. McNeil, Laurence C. Nolan, and
Judge Pollak. (front row) Hill and Judge Carter.
Photos by Marvin T. Jones &
Associates
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THE JURIST 5
Race and Rights:Brown v. Board of Education and the Problems of Segregation, Desegregation, and
Resegregation in the United States
any distinguished speakersconvened at the National
Museum of American History todiscuss segregation before andafter Brown. The two-day confer-ence and Town Hall Meeting wassponsored by the SmithsonianMuseum, the Howard UniversitySchool of Law, the NAACP LegalDefense and Educational Fund,Inc., and the NAACP. Charles J.Ogletree (standing) facilitated “AnIntergenerational ConversationAbout Brown v. Board of Education,”which generated many thoughtfulquestions and insights from theaudience.
M
Phot
os b
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arvi
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Jone
s &
Ass
ocia
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6 THE JURIST
art I of the Howard Law/Yale Law Joint Conference kicked off in Washington, D.C., onFebruary 26. The three day event was packed with an impressive array of keynote
speakers, lecturers, scholars, legal experts, educators, and some very special guests,including hundreds of students from local high schools.
Vernon Jordan ’60 delivered the keynote address.
Congressman James M. Clyburn and Dean KurtL. Schmoke.
Harold McDougall
Isiah Leggett
Debra Anderson
Iris Toyer
William Taylor
P
Photos by Marvin T. Jones &
Associates
THE JURIST 7
Vincent Eng
David Shapinsky
Franz Marshall
Irasema Salcido
Pedro Noguera
Betty Kilby Fisher was one of the children who led thefight to integrate public schools in Warren County,Virginia. She has written about the experience in herbook Wit, Will & Walls, which sold dozens of copiesduring the conference.
Right: Robin Konrad ‘04, John Jackson, and JudithWinston served on the affirmative action panel.
Conference coordinator Angela Polk and GeorgeCurry, who was a panelist on “Brown and theMedia.”
Later, the students held small group discussionsto talk about what they had learned.
Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. made a presentation to the highschool students to educate them about Brown and the signifi-cance it has on their lives today.
8 THE JURIST
Clockwise: The Rev. Walter E. Fauntroy and Judge Roger L. Gregory delivered keynote speeches during the conference.Professor Dark, Yale Law School Deans Anthony Kronman, and Michael Thompson, and Professor Bill Robinson were allsmiles after day two of the conference. Howard University President H. Patrick Swygert shared a word with Elaine Jones.
Lisa Crooms
Jannette L. Dates
Vinetta Jones
Theodore Shaw
Jonathan Alger
art II of the joint conference was
held at Yale LawSchool in NewHaven, Connecticut on April 1-3.
Senator Hillary RodhamClinton was the featuredspeaker at the Yale pro-gram on April 3. She isjoined by Howard LawStudents (l to r)Adranna Montgomery,Marlene Donaldson,Angela Polk, MiaWoodard, and AlexanderHamilton, and HilltopReporter CharreahJackson.
P
oward University School of Law and Kirkpatrick & LockhartLLP joined together on March 25, 2004, to honor James M.
Nabrit Jr., for his enormous contributions to the Bolling v. Sharpedecision and because of the legacy he left at Howard University,the law school, and the nation. “Nabrit was one of the leading con-
stitutional and civil rights attorneys of his generation,” said theprogram planners. “He along with other Brown lawyers,
caused the United States to live up to its ideals of justiceand inalienable rights for all its citizens. No commemo-
ration would be complete without honoring and recog-nizing James M. Nabrit Jr.”
The Nabrit Day celebration included aconversation with United States Supreme
Court Justice Stephen Breyer, the inauguralJames M. Nabrit Jr. Lecture delivered byCharles J. Ogletree, and a lavish reception.
THE JURIST 9
H
Dean Schmoke welcomed Peter J. Kalis of K&L and SupremeCourt Justice Stephen Breyer to the program.
Photos by Marvin T. Jones & Associates
10 THE JURIST
Above: Justice Breyer
Right: K&L partners and othermembers of the audience listened asJustice Breyer discussed some of hisfavorite cases, including Cooper v.Aaron, which he considered to be a
“great grandchild” of Brown v.Board of Education.
James M. Nabrit III conversed with K&L partners.
Carl G. Cooper ’72, of K&L, greeted Howard law students.
Justice Breyer with the women of Epsilon Sigma Iota.
Photo courtesy of A
ltheria Myers
Cooper, Mrs. Nabrit III, Mrs. Thurgood Marshall, and Professor J. Clay Smith shared a moment after the lecture.
THE JURIST 11
Left: Ogletree delivered the inaugural lecture. Above: Paul W.Sweeney of K&L made remarks.
Justice Breyer talked to the audience afterhis speech.
Mrs. Marshall and Kalis shared a private word.
Cooper and Kalis conversed with Mr. and Mrs. James M. Nabrit III.
oward Law School and lawyers from theNational Bar Association joined together to
remember their history of working together dur-ing Brown. The symposium also emphasized theneed for continued collaboration to tackle the legalissues of the next generation.
Mrs. Thurgood Marshall and Oliver Hill joined JulianDugas, Judge Banks, and President Bailey for a photo.
12 THE JURIST
Left to right: NBA President Clyde Bailey, Charles S. Scott, John A. Payton,Judge Patricia Banks, Hon. Horace T. Ward, Ernestine Sapp, JuliusChambers, and Dean Schmoke.
Lawrence Baca and Barbara Arnwine addressed education issues ofthe future.
Mrs. Thurgood Marshall addressedsymposium attendees.
Conference particpant discusses the historyof Howard Law School and the NBA.
H
Photos by Marvin T. Jones &
Associates
n a sweltering hot day during the summerof 2003, I strolled through the cool NationalCivil Rights Museum in Memphis,Tennessee. As I perused photographs and
exhibits, I was struck by the rolethat African American childrenplayed in desegregating schools.Historical memorabilia reveal thatmany young girls and boys showedunimaginable strength, courage,and bravery to integrate publicschools despite school officials’ andpoliticians’ efforts to maintain seg-regation. Indeed, those children—whose innocent faces emblazon thepages of our civil rights books andare memorialized in museums—helped to permanently change edu-cation in America.
African American childrenprotested inequalities that existed intheir segregated schools. They were assigned toinferior physical facilities with inadequate andinsufficient supplies and equipment. Those youngAfrican American crusaders bravely volunteeredto integrate public schools that had exponentiallyhigher quality and had previously been designatedfor white children only. When integration effortsfor Central High School in Arkansas wereannounced, for example, 75 teenagers sponta-neously signed a list to become the first AfricanAmerican students educated at the high school.Throughout the country, students who were cho-sen to integrate designated schools were coura-geous enough to defy governors and others whovowed to prohibit their entry to public schools.1
Photographs of events that arose during deseg-regation efforts reflect young but determined faces.Linda Brown was only seven years old when shebecame one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit to dis-mantle segregation in Kansas.2 Ruby Bridges wasa tiny, wide-eyed, six-year-old Louisiana resident.She was born on September 8, 1954, just a fewmonths after the United States Supreme Court
decided that segregation deprived AfricanAmerican children of equal protection of the lawsin Brown v. Board of Education.3
Initially, upon admission to the schools, inte-gration was a farce and a lonelyexperience for some students. SomeAfrican American students were iso-lated from white children. For exam-ple, Ruby Bridges was the only stu-dent in her classroom. At the samefacility, white students studied,played, and ate lunch in other sec-tions of the building. Teenagers whoentered high schools in Arkansasand Alabama as a group were sepa-rated from each other and placed indifferent classrooms.5 They alsowere banned from integratingextracurricular activities withintheir schools, including clubs,sports, band, class plays, and
proms.6 Most of their white classmates refused tospeak to them or to sit next to them.7
For their bravery and outspokenness, childrenwho led desegregation attempts suffered harmfuland lasting effects. Both Ruby and ElizabethEckford, a teenager who integrated Central High,recalled nightmares about the public’s violent reac-tions to their efforts to desegregate schools. Duringthe school day, those young pioneers wereharassed, insulted, and threatened with death.They were pelted and pummeled with rocks, rot-ten fruit, vegetables, eggs, and human fists. Somechildren were kicked. Others were spat upon.White adult demonstrators and students whoopposed segregation shouted obscenities andracial epithets at them. In Arkansas, teenagersfaced rifles, machine guns, and the point of a bay-onet. They watched as uncontrolled throngs beattheir parents and other community leaders. Insupport of their efforts, the president of the UnitedStates eventually ordered federal troops and policeto escort the children to and from school. Teacherswho supposedly had devoted their lives to educat-
THE JURIST 13
…a little child shall lead them. Isaiah 11:6
By Cynthia R. Mabry
O
CHILDREN WHO LED THE
DESEGREGATION REVOLUTION
14 THE JURIST
ing young people not only refused to teach AfricanAmerican children but also refused to protect themagainst student mobs.8 Indeed, these were night-marish incidents for young minds to encounterand endure.
Children led efforts for desegregation inVirginia—my home state—too. In 1951, 16 year-oldBarbara Johns, a high school senior in PrinceEdward County, Virginia, led a strike to forceimprovement of conditions at Robert R. MotonHigh School, the high schoolwhere African Americans wereeducated in that county. Aftershe convinced more than 100students to join her revolution,Barbara telephoned civil rightsattorneys and insisted that theymeet with the mutineers aboutsystem-wide discrimination.9
The overcrowded and poorlyheated high school that Barbaraand her classmates attendedconsisted of one main buildingwith separate “tar-paper”shacks that were built as extraclassrooms when studentenrollment exceeded the capaci-ty of the main building.10 Theone-story school was devoid ofa cafeteria, a gymnasium, aninfirmary, a set of showers, anydressing rooms, a properlyequipped science laboratory, and any teachers’restrooms.11 Most schools set aside for educatingAfrican American students in Virginia did not haverunning water installed.12 The curricular offeringsat Moton were deficient too. Neither physics,Latin, drawing, nor world history was offered.How children were transported to school wasaffected because newer school buses were assignedto white schools and older buses were assigned toMoton.13 Ultimately, the attorneys who met withBarbara observed these “deplorable” conditionsand filed a lawsuit that sought desegregation in allVirginia schools.14
Desegregation in Virginia was not implement-ed “with all deliberate speed” as the Brown II courthad ordered.15 Instead, Senator Harry F. Byrd Sr.and many other southern politicians executed acampaign of “massive resistance” against desegre-gation. Byrd was one of 19 United States senatorswho signed the “Southern Manifesto,” whichbeseeched southerners to demand a reversal of the
Brown decision by “any and all lawful means.”16 Tofurther its plan of resistance, the Virginia GeneralAssembly enacted legislation that, among otherthings, denied public funds for integrated schoolsand gave the governor authority to close schoolswhen courts ordered desegregation of thoseschools.17 Schools also would be closed whenevermilitary or federal personnel entered school prem-ises or even appeared in the vicinity of the school.Persons who made financial contributions to white
private schools received a prop-erty tax credit.18
In accordance with theGeneral Assembly of Virginia’spolicies, all 22 public schools inPrince Edward County wereclosed for five years between1959 and 1964.19 All white stu-dents in that county were trans-ferred to Prince EdwardAcademy, a private school.Moreover, until a court ruledthat the practice was a violationof the Virginia constitution,public funds were used to paytuition for white students whoattended private schools inVirginia.20 Most AfricanAmerican students did notattend school during that peri-od.21 Meanwhile, althoughPrince Edward County officials
admitted that public school facilities assigned toAfrican Americans were “grossly inferior,” theyattempted to equalize conditions in AfricanAmerican schools so they could avoid integration.22
Finally, in 1964, in the Griffin decision, the U.S.Supreme Court ruled that Prince Edward Countyhad to maintain a public school system, and theschools were reopened.23
Similarly, resistance in other Virginia countieswas pervasive. School attendance zones wereredrawn in Charlottesville. In Norfolk, integratedneighborhoods where desegregation plaintiffslived were demolished completely. Cities andcounties were merged or annexed to manipulateschool attendance. In Newport News, two former-ly white schools were reassigned to AfricanAmericans for their separate education in a moresuperior facility.24 A statewide Pupil PlacementBoard was created to handle transfer requests.African American students who wanted to attendan all-white school were compelled to apply for
“Deep within their
fragile bodies, they
summoned the inner
strength, the
determination, and the
sheer willpower to
eliminate segregation.”
CHILDREN WHO LED THE DESEGREGATION REVOLUTION
permission to transfer. Those applications weresummarily denied.
For shorter periods, schools were closed inNorfolk and Charlottesville too.26 Between 1965and 1968, the city of Emporia designed a freedom-of-choice plan and attempted to establish a dualschool system in the city and county that wouldessentially have left segregation intact. The pro-posed system was set up so that most white chil-dren would be educated in city schools that werelocated on better sites and werebetter equipped, while AfricanAmerican children would be edu-cated in inferior county schools.27
Finally, to avoid sending their chil-dren to integrated schools, whiteparents uprooted their families andfled to the suburbs.28
In 1962, when I was enrolled infirst grade, schools still had notbeen integrated in MecklenburgCounty where my sisters and Iwere educated. On the one hand,schools in our county were notclosed. On the other hand, theschools remained segregated. In1955, in South Hill, Virginia, wherewe eventually attended integratedhigh schools, Park View High wasopened as a private school.29 Thistactic was used by other southernofficials to circumvent desegrega-tion. Hundreds of private schoolsfor white students opened in theSouth after President Lyndon B. Johnson signedthe Civil Rights Act of 1964.
When I began my research to write this essay, Idid not have a sense that Mecklenburg County stu-dents were deprived of a superior education in aninferior facility. At Booker Boyd ElementarySchool, a community school where young AfricanAmericans from Mecklenburg County were edu-cated, the one-story brick facility was more thanadequate. The resources were sufficient. The cur-riculum was rigorous. Expectations for achieve-ment were high. Our parents actively and enthusi-astically participated in educational and extracur-ricular activities. New or slightly used state-issuedtextbooks were available for each student. A well-stocked library satisfied my voracious readinginterests. In general, children were respectful, wereorderly, and had a thirst for knowledge. Membersof the custodial staff ensured that the corridors and
the classrooms were immaculate and that thegrounds were manicured beautifully.
Great and talented African American teach-ers like Mrs. Harrison, Ms. Pettus, Ms. Boyd, Ms. Crump, Mr. Jenkins, and Mrs. FlossieDrummond taught various courses at BookerBoyd. These caring and proud teachers, somewhose first names I never even knew, also hadtaught our mother. Not only did they educate us,but also they encouraged us and inspired us to
excel. The slender, tall, and handsome Mr. Grahamwas our principal. In a quiet way, he governed theschool. Those women and men left indelibleimpressions that continue to shape our lives.
My view of conditions at Booker Boyd causedme to be shocked by my sobering realization aboutdesegregation in Virginia when I learned that tol-erable conditions at Booker Boyd were not an acci-dent. In anticipation of the Brown decision, somecommonwealth of Virginia school officials hurried-ly designed a plan to maintain separate-but-equalschool systems by improving and equalizing con-ditions in African American schools. The numberof books that were sent to Booker Boyd, forinstance, had been doubled and tripled to meet sat-isfactory standards. Before that plan was imple-mented, African American students attended ele-mentary and high schools that were not conduciveto learning or teaching. Just a few years before the
THE JURIST 15
The Mabry Girls: Aldrena, Francina, Shan, and Cynthia.
CHILDREN WHO LED THE DESEGREGATION REVOLUTION
Pho
to c
ourt
esy
of M
rs. G
eral
dine
New
ell.
16 THE JURIST
Brown decision was announced, Mrs. N. T.Simmons was a principal at Wyatt ElementarySchool, a school for African Americans who livedin Dinwiddie County, Virginia. Wyatt was a two-room school with grades one through threeassigned to one classroom and grades four throughseven assigned to the second classroom. Twoteachers were responsible for educating those chil-dren. The library consisted of one bookcase withfive shelves that held a small number of books.31
Despite the conditions, in the fall of 1954, noboys and girls attempted to integrate MecklenburgCounty schools as throngs of people taunted them.As rebellions arose in other counties to the north,east, and west of us, we quietly attended the sameschool that we always had attended. We attendedsegregated schools for more than a decade asVirginia politicians ignored the Brown mandateand worked against desegregation. Then, in 1968,the U.S. Supreme Court required all public schoolsto submit realistic desegregation plans immediate-ly.32 Thus, in 1969, more than 15 years after theBrown decision, schools in my hometown and thesurrounding cities were finally integrated. Still,there were not any riotous crowds or armedtroops. Overall, the long-awaited transition wassmooth. One teacher recalled that her first integrat-ed third-grade class was mannerly and respectful.It was one of the nicest classes that she hadtaught.33 At the high school level, though, therewas some tension34 and passive resistance. Iremember one white female teacher who alwaysreferred to us as “Nigras.” I believe that this washer venturing close—as close as she dared—tousing the N-word in our presence.
Today, schools in some districts in Virginia arelauded for the level of integration that they repre-sent. There are 1,163,091 students enrolled inVirginia schools. A majority of the studentsenrolled (62 percent) are white and AfricanAmericans represent 27.1 percent. Virginia schoolsalso educate a small percentage of Latino, Asian,and American Indian students.35 Even now,though, there is a concern that resegregation hasoccurred. In some parts of the commonwealth,such as South Hampton Roads, 12,000 AfricanAmerican students are segregated from white stu-dents who attend predominately white schools.36
Children are considered one of the most vul-nerable groups in America. Yet they led a revolu-tion that resulted in desegregation of schoolsaround the nation. Deep within their fragile bod-
ies, they summoned the inner strength, the deter-mination, and the sheer willpower to eliminatesegregation. Despite past and current resistance,African American and white students are educatedin the same classrooms—in Virginia and through-out the nation—as a result of this children’s move-ment.
Cynthia R. Mabry is a professor of law at HowardUniversity School of Law.
1 JUAN WILLIAMS, EYES ON THE PRIZE 96 (1987). See also FREEDOM’S CHILDREN 50, 59-60, 63, 66 (ed. Ellen Levine 1993).
2 EYES ON THE PRIZE, supra note 2, at 21.3 Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483, 495 (1954).4 RUBY BRIDGES, THROUGH MY EYES 40-41, 43 (1999). 5 EYES ON THE PRIZE, supra note 2, at 9; FREEDOM’S CHILDREN, supra note 2,
at 61.6 FREEDOM’S CHILDREN, supra note 2, at 50, 68.7 Id. at 63.8 EYES ON THE PRIZE, supra note 2, at 91-119; THROUGH MY EYES, supra note 5, at
48; FREEDOM’S CHILDREN, supra note 2, at 38-69, 93, 180-81, 183-84, 188.9 THE BIG BANG, BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION AND BEYOND 148-50 (ed.
Johnathan Stubbs 2000); EYES ON THE PRIZE, supra note 2, at 25-27.10 THE BIG BANG, supra note 10, at 150.11 Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, 103 F. Supp. 337, 339-40
(E.D. Va.), consolidated 345 U.S. 972 (1953).12 Virginia Commonwealth University,
http//www.library.vcu.edu/jbc/speccoll/pac02a.html.13 Id. at 340.14 Davis, 103 F. Supp. at 339-40; THE BIG BANG, supra note 10, at 148-51.15 Brown v. Board of Education, 349 U.S. 294, 301 (1954).16 “The Southern Manifesto,” http://www.strom.clemson.edu/strom/manifesto.html.
See also 102 CONG. REC. 4515-16 (1956); THE BIG BANG, supra note 10, at 168; CHARLES J. OGLETREE, JR., ALL DELIBERATE SPEED 126 (2004) (hereinafter OGLETREE).
17 Harrison v. Day, 106 S.E.2d 636, 441 (Va. 1959).18 Griffin v. County School Board. of Prince Edward County, 377 U.S. 223-24 (1964).19 THE BIG BANG, supra note 10, at 160-61, 175, 183. 20 Almond v. Day, 89 S.E.2d 851, 858-59 (Va. 1955).21 Griffin, 377 U.S. 218, 230-31. 22 Allen v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, Va., 266 F.2d 507, 508, 512 n.2
(4th Cir. 1959).23 Griffin, 377 U.S. at 232-34.24 Forrest White, Brown Revisited, 76 PHI DELTA KAPPAN 12-20 (September 1994).25 THE BIG BANG, supra note 10, at 174-76. See also OGLETREE, supra note 17, at 131
(passing laws and referendums to prevent desegregation in the south).26 White, supra note at 15.27 Wright v. Council of the City of Emporia, 407 U.S. 451, 455-56, 462-63 (1972).28 THE BIG BANG, supra note 10, at 180-81.29 Park View High School, http://www.parkviewdragons.com.30 SHARON HARLEY, THE TIMETABLES OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY 312
(1995).31 Telephone interview with Mrs. N. T. Simmons (February 3, 2004). 32 Green v. County School Board. of New Kent County, Virginia, 391 U.S. 430, 439 (1968).33 Telephone interview with Mrs. Flossie Drummond (January 18, 2004).34 Interview with Mrs. Hazel Oliver (December 26, 2003).55 National Center for Education Statistics, State Profiles, http://nces.ed.gov/nation
sreportcard/states/profile.asp36 Mike Guss and Philip Walzeo, Pioneer of Progress: Fifty Years Ago, the United States
Supreme Court Ruled That the Doctrine of "Separate but Equal" Was Fundamentally Flawed, VIRGINIAN-PILOT & LEDGER STAR at A1 (February 1, 2004).
Note from the author: I am grateful to Professor J.Clay Smith Jr. for suggesting that I write about myexperience with desegregation in Virginia and toProfessor Laurence C. Nolan for her advice andencouragement. I am especially grateful to my par-ents, Dorothy and Cornelious Mabry, for sacrificesthat they made for my education in segregated anddesegregated public schools in Virginia.
CHILDREN WHO LED THE DESEGREGATION REVOLUTION
THE JURIST 17
Phot
os b
y M
arvi
n T.
Jone
s &
Ass
ocia
tes
n the 50th anniversary of the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision, Howard University School of Law officially openedthe national exhibit “Marching Toward Justice: The History of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.” The openingceremony and ribbon cutting included special guests Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, L. Douglas Wilder ‘59, and former Poet
Laureate Rita Dove. The exhibit’s visionary and founder, Damon J. Keith ’49 delivered the keynote address. Other speakersincluded Wayne State University President Irvin D. Reid, Roderick D. Gillum, vice president of public policy and diversity ini-tiatives for General Motors, and Annice Wagner, chief judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
Poet Laureate Rita Dove Dee, Dean Schmoke, and Former Dean Alice Gresham Bullock. L. Douglas Wilder
Charles Hamilton Houston III and Judge Keith.The audience–including the program participants–enjoyed the stirring remarks made by Ossie Davis.
O
18 THE JURIST
Entering the new lawlibrary to view MarchingToward Justice.
High school student Lauren N.Jenkins entertained the audience.
Davis and Associate Dean Patricia M. Worthy.
Judge Curtis Strong, Dee, Davis, Wilder, and Keith.
THE JURIST 19
Staff members (l to r) Ammie McCoy, Sandra Smith, Lisa Bradford,Kim Gray, Angela Jones, Jacqueline Young, and Law Student MieshaDarrough with Dee and Davis at the luncheon.
20 THE JURIST
ommencement 2004
Students rejoice duringand after the ceremony! A
law student proudlyshows off her J.D. degree!
May 8, 2004(Clockwise) Graduation speakersAlicia Roshell, Donald Thigpen, andTed Shaw made poignant remarks tothe class imploring it to continue thelegacy of Brown. Graduates applaudduring the ceremony. Dean Schmoke,Ted Shaw, and Law School DeansWorthy, McClendon, McGahee, andSpriggs sing The Alma Mater.
Photos by Jason Miccolo Johnson
C
Members of the class of 1954 received special recognition.Pictured are (l to r) Hon. Albert D. Matthews, Dr. GloriaE. A. Toote, and Ethel C. Ellison.
1947 FRANKIE MUSE FREEMAN was a2004 recipient of the Gertrude E.Rush Award. Freeman, a renownedcivil rights lawyer, published hermemoir, A Song of Faith and Hope,in 2003.
1949DAMON J. KEITH, a judge on the6th Circuit Court of Appeals, wasselected as one of 600 AfricanAmericans whose biographyappears in African American Lives,published by Oxford UniversityPress.
1967LONNIE L. CRAWFORD JR. servedon the Merit Systems ProtectionBoard as a federal administrativejudge from 1981 to 2003. The boardadjudicated appeals from federalemployees on employment-relatedmatters. Crawford currentlyresides in Pennsylvania.
DR. J. CLAY SMITH JR. has retiredfrom his position as a professor oflaw at Howard Law School. Dr.Smith, who was dean from 1986 to1988, served the law school formore than 22 years.
1969WARNER LAWSON has beenappointed associate dean for aca-demic affairs at Howard UniversitySchool of Law.
1972CARL G. COOPER, chief diversityofficer of the law firm Kirkpatrick
& Lockhart LLP, was a member ofthe organizing committee for theJames M. Nabrit Jr. Day celebrationduring the law school’s Brown@50:Fulfilling the Promise commemora-tive year.
1975Former law school dean ALICEGRESHAM BULLOCK was a 2004recipient of the Gertrude E. RushAward.
1981 GEORGE W. and JUDY P. DRAPERare the first African American hus-band and wife to both serve asjudges in the state of Missouri.George is the chief judge for the
Missouri Court of Appeals for theEastern District. Judy is an associ-ate circuit judge for the 21st judicialcircuit in St. Louis County.
1992 BERNARD HAGGERTY is a staffattorney for the Lummi Nation. Hewas also the Green Party candidatefor lieutenant governor in the stateof Washington. Haggerty is cur-rently pursuing a Ph.D. at theUniversity of British ColumbiaFaculty of Law.
1993GINA FERGUSON ADAMS hasbeen the corporate vice presidentfor FedEx’s Office of GovernmentAffairs since February 2001. Adamsholds an LL.M. in internationaland comparative law fromGeorgetown University LawCenter in Washington, D.C.
South Carolina law firmHaynsworth Sinkler Boyd, PArecently namedDALHI N. MYERS ashareholder in theirColumbia office.Myers is a member ofthe South CarolinaCouncil onCompetitiveness and the U.S.Department of Commerce’s SouthCarolina District Export Council.Following her cum laude gradua-tion from Howard, Myers servedas law clerk to Annice M. Wagner,chief justice of the District ofColumbia Court of Appeals. Myersis a native of Hopkins, SouthCarolina.
1994 CYNTHIA BOOKHART ADAMSjoined Wilmer, Cutler & Pickeringas resident counsel in their NewYork office. She will be practicingin the securities section. Adamspreviously practiced law withSullivan & Cromwell. She alsoclerked for U.S. District CourtJudge Emmett G. Sullivan (’68).
H e a r s a y
THE JURIST 21
22 THE JURIST
CANDACE L. BYRD,acting chief publicdefender for the cityof Atlanta since2003, delivered thepinning ceremonyspeech to the lawschool’s incoming class of 2007.“You are our future,” she said.“Make a difference in this world.Every action you take from thismoment forward will change youand those around you. Aim high,even when times are tough, main-tain your confidence, be coura-geous. Think outside the box.Focus on your purpose and,above all, be true to yourself.” In2002, Byrd was the co–campaignmanager for Georgia State SenatorKasim Reed (’95). She is a memberof the Georgia Bar Association.
SUSAN HOPKINS has a busy andsuccessful immigration law prac-tice in Maine.
ANTHONY DAVID JORDAN is thechief assistant prosecutor for thecity of Cleveland, Ohio. In June2004, Jordan married RomissaWalden.
ELTON F. NORMAN joined the lawfirm of Patrick Henry LLP, wherehe heads the security transactionspractice. The firm has offices inLanham, Maryland, andAlexandria, Virginia.
1995RITA SINKFIELD BELIN and herhusband Henry, are the proud par-ents of Henry Allen Belin IV, whowas born in May.
DAVID BUTLERITCHIE is an associateprofessor of law at theAppalachian School of Law. Herecently received his Ph.D. inphilosophy from the University ofOregon.
KIRSTEN BUTLERITCHIE is the direc-tor of Career Services and AlumniRelations at the AppalachianSchool of Law, where she is also anadjunct professor.
WENDELL HALL is serving inAfghanistan as a U. S. ArmyCaptain in JAGC/Trial Counsel.
UZOMA ONYEIJE is an attorneyfor the Federal CommunicationsCommission. He and his wife,Karen, have a son, Gabriel.
1997 RAMON L. WATKINS recentlybecame a shareholder in the lawfirm of Gable & Gotwals, anOklahoma-based firm with officesin Tulsa and Oklahoma City.Watkins’s practice emphasizescommercial real estate and sportslaw. At Howard, Watkins was amember of the Howard Law Journaland president of the Howard LawChristian Fellowship.
1998SANDY F. BELLAMY has beennamed the executive director of theReginald F. Lewis Museum ofMaryland African AmericanHistory and Culture. The museum,based in Baltimore, Maryland, hasan annual budget of $38 million.
SETH ADAM MEINERO was thecochair of “TheLawyers WhoDefeated ‘Separatebut Equal,’” alsoknown as the BrownLawyers Panel. Theprogram, part of thelaw school’sBrown@50 commemoration, wascochaired by Howard LawProfessor Laurence C. Nolan.
2001SHARON E. BROWN opened thelaw offices of Sharon E. Brown inNorth Hollywood, California. Thefirm will specialize in bankruptcylaw. Before opening her law firm,Brown was a contract attorney, edi-tor, and benefits consultant.
Barnes & Thornburg,Indiana’s largest lawfirm, hired SCOTT C.HOLLINGSWORTHas a new associate inthe Indianapolisoffice. Hollingsworthpractices in the creditor’s rightsdepartment.
TRACEY SPRINKLE was thekeynote speaker at TuskegeeUniversity’s Cap and PinningCeremony.
2002STEPHANIE NASHhas joined thePhiladelphia officeof Stradley RononStevens & Young asan associate in thetrust and estatedepartment.
H e a r s a y
JOHN GOINSClass of 1952November 2004 in Washington, D.C.
JEROME SHUMAN SR.Class of 1963July 2004 in Washington, D.C.
RUTHIE TAYLORClass of 1965October 2004 in Washington, D.C.
RICHARD NORMAN SINGLETON JR.Class of 1985September 2004 in St. Louis, Missouri
IN MEMORIAM
REUNION IS MOVING TO THE FALLeginning in 2005, the School of Law will celebrate class reunions during the fall. The name willbe changed from “Reunion Weekend” to “Alumni Weekend” to encourage all alumni to partici-pate. The Office of Development & Alumni Relations will coordinate Alumni Weekend activities,
with the help of alumni volunteers. There will continue to be special reunion class celebrations.Through these changes, the School of Law expects to accomplish the following goals:
• Increase participation of reunion-year class members in reunion activities
• Facilitate reunion planning for class committees
• Avoid Mothers’ Day conflicts
• Encourage networking activities amongst alumni and current students
• Increase faculty participation by avoiding commencement and final exam conflicts
• Encourage participation by all alumni, including non-reunion class members
• Increase participation in reunion class gifts
POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE:
• All-class reception
• Reunion class parties and activities
• Law Library tours
• Class pictures
• Alumni/student networking event
• Financial and estate planning seminars
• CLE Seminars, including the annual Intellectual Property Seminar
FIFTIETH-YEAR REUNIONS WILL STILL BE HELD IN MAY
Because of the special activities planned by the University for the fiftieth-year reunion classes, thefiftieth-year reunions will continue to be held during commencement. Members of the fiftieth-yearreunion classes are still invited to participate in the fall Alumni Weekend activities.
ALUMNI WEEKEND 2005Friday, October 21, 2005 through Sunday, October 23, 2005
B
Classes of 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000
Reunion Committees are forming now
Class agents are needed to help plan reunion events. If you would like to help plan your class’events, please contact the Office of Development & Alumni Relations at (202) 806-8177 or viaemail at [email protected].
THE JURIST 23
IN SEARCH OF ALLHOWARD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF
LAW ALUMNIave you ever tried to get in touch with an old classmate, only to find that the last directoryis 8 years old? Well, your troubles are over. Soon an impressive directory of our alumniwill be available to help you locate all your friends.
The new Howard University School of Law Alumni Directory, scheduled for release inAugust 2005, will be the most up-to-date and complete reference of over 3,660 HowardUniversity School of Law alumni ever compiled! This comprehensive volume will includecurrent name, address and phone number, academic data, plus business information (ifapplicable), bound into a classic, library quality edition.
The Office of Development & Alumni Relations has contracted the prestigious Bernard C.Harris Publishing Company, Inc. to produce the directory. Harris will soon begin researchingand compiling the information to be printed in the directory by mailing a questionnaire to eachalumnus/a. (If you prefer not to be listed in the directory, please contact the Office ofDevelopment & Alumni Relations in writing as soon as possible.)
The new Howard University School of Law Alumni Directory will soon make finding analumnus/a as easy as opening a book. Look for more details on the project in future issues.
Class of 1964 Class of 1974
H
For More Information Contact:
DIONE TRACI DUCKETT, ESQ.Senior Director of Development & Alumni Relations
Howard University School of Law2900 Van Ness Street, NW • Washington, DC 20008
202/806-8177 phone • 202/806-8111 [email protected]
To update your information for the alumni directory, call our toll free number 1-877-553-8477 today!
24 THE JURIST
2004 Clarence Clyde Ferguson LectureHarvard Law Professor Lani Guinier was the guest lecturer for the annual Clarence ClydeFerguson Lecture. Guinier met with Howard law students, faculty, and special guests,including Oliver Hill, before delivering her famed lecture “The Miner’s Canary.” The October 2004 lecture was the culminating event of the law school’s Brown@50 year-long celebration.
Pictured above with Guinier are (l to r) David Manza, Leah Aden, Celia Washington, Debbie Kim,Elizabeth Matory, Rukia Lumumba, and Sasha Hodge Wren of the ACLU Howard Chapter.
THE JURIST 25
Ossie Davis at the May 17 ceremony.
J. Clay Smith and DeanSchmoke at commencement.
Elaine Jones, George Curry, and Ted Shawat the Howard Law–Yale Law
joint conference.
Congressman James M. Clyburn enjoyed aquiet moment before delivering his remarks.
Former Dean Bullock presented the 2004 Warren S.Rosmarin Award to Professor Andrew Gavil.
And The Legacy Continues…
26 THE JURIST
he 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board ofEducation was a year-long undertakingat Howard University School of Lawthat involved all aspects or parts of the
law school community, outside partners, andmany splendid alumni of thelaw school. So, as we end oursuccessful Brown commemora-tion, it is useful to look back andconsider what has happened.
Former Dean Alice GreshamBullock ‘75 initiated theBrown@50 planning committeeand graciously asked me toserve as cochair.1 We receivedimmediate support and theactive involvement of our well-known alumni Oliver Hill ‘33and Damon J. Keith ‘49 of theU.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th
Circuit. Elaine Jones, then direc-tor-counsel of the NAACP LegalDefense and Educational FundInc., was also active, supportive,and present at several of ourearly planning meetings. Thoseindividuals, along with somefaculty, students, and staff mem-bers, composed the workingplanning committee. The plan-ning committee approved theoverall design and structure of what wereferred to as the Brown@50 Project. TheBrown@50 Project would include 12 separateevents, a series of publications including avolume of the Howard Law Journal dedicatedto Brown, essay contests for high school andHoward law students, and other activitiesthat allowed us to look back and forward indiscussing the history and legacy of Brown.
After so much effort, thought, and com-mitment of human and monetary resources,
the question I will answer here is how did wedo? Was the Brown@50 Project truly successful,and, if so, in what ways? Success for programsof this magnitude can be measured in manyways, including by quite simply counting the
number of people who attend orview the event or the number ofpress articles generated on theoverall program. By these num-bers, Brown@50 would bedeemed a success, but we preferto look more closely at other cri-teria that can more meaningfullyand accurately examine our suc-cess.
The law school’s faculty wasfully engaged in this project. Infact, 100 percent of the facultycontributed in various ways toits success. Several faculty mem-bers managed or took charge ofmajor events, either as chair orfaculty advisers.2 They chairedcommittees for the project, suchas the publications committee3
and the website committee.4
Many faculty members spokeabout Brown programs at ourlaw school and elsewhere in thecountry. They published articles
about Brown or incorporated aspects of Browninto their respective courses. In addition,numerous faculty members attended the Brownprograms throughout the year and stronglyencouraged their students to attend as well.
The level of student participation in a proj-ect of this magnitude is another way to meas-ure success. If this were our only factor fordetermining success, then the Brown@50 Projectwould be regarded as a resounding success!
The Brown@50 Project was blessed to havestudent assistants specifically hired to work on
T H E L A S T W O R D
TBy Okianer Christian Dark
“Our speakers and
presenters were won-
derfully insightful and
very generous with
their time and talent.
Everyone who partici-
pated in the
Brown@50 programs
deserves special men-
tion and recognition.”
Brown@50: A Commemoration and A Work in Progress
these events and activities.5 They were eachworth their weight in gold in terms of theirattention to detail, follow-through, initiative,and, of course, cheerful commitment. From thevery beginning, we had student members fromall three law school classes involved in theplanning process. More important, three of ourmajor events were chaired or cochaired by lawstudents: the Inaugural Charles HamiltonHouston Lecture, the town hall meeting thatwas part of the joint conference with theSmithsonian’s National Museum of AmericanHistory, and the Howard Law–Yale Law jointconference. All of our students did a remark-able job leading those highly visible and influ-ential events. However, student volunteerismdid not end there. Every event was hosted by astudent organization that assisted in distribut-ing programs, setting up information tables(when necessary), and escorting our specialguests, speakers, or program participants. Weestimate that approximately 100 law studentsserved in various volunteer roles during the2003–2004 term.
The unsung heroes of this effort have beenthe law school staff members who made manyvital contributions as well. Nearly every officeor staff function in the law school was involvedin the Brown@50 Project. Often, their workcould not be readily seen or appreciated, espe-cially when everything worked according tothe plan. Yet, the staff members were involvedat every phase of each program. For example,to get a room ready for an event meant that theBrown@50 Project needed the support andinvolvement of the offices of the dean, academ-ic dean, budget and finance, administrationand operations (including housekeeping, secu-rity, and dining services), and even law schoolservices.
At critical times, staff members would stopby and volunteer whatever time they had tohelp in any way needed. For example, we hada group composed primarily of staff memberswhom we called “Howard’s Angels.” ThoseAngels would assemble whenever we had acrisis to respond to and assist in completing thetask. Though I would like to say that every-thing went off without a hitch, there were
times when even the best of plans went awryand we needed help. Howard’s Angels wouldstep in with a wonderfully positive spirit andmanage us through the crisis. The dedication,demonstrated by the Angels and many otherstaff members, completely infused everything,and we are extremely grateful to each staffmember for his or her contribution.
The Brown@50 Project had wonderful out-side partners, which increased our ability toreach sectors of the community both within theWashington, D.C., metropolitan area andbeyond. We were partners with the D.C.Humanities Council as a host site for theCharles Hamilton Houston Symposium inOctober 2003, with the Smithsonian’s NationalMuseum of American History for our townhall meeting in February 2004, and with theNational Bar Association in April 2004, amongothers. Funding for our various programs andprojects had a broad national base. We receivedsmall individual and institutional financialcontributions that made the commemorationpossible.
Our speakers and presenters were wonder-fully insightful and very generous with theirtime and talent. Everyone who participated inthe Brown@50 programs deserves special men-tion and recognition. We were especially grate-ful for the support we received from the attor-neys who had actually worked on the Browncases, along with their families. Those attor-neys shared their time with us during the com-memorative year. Their mere presence bothinspired and reminded us of the important sac-rifices and contributions that they made to this
THE JURIST 27
Staff members Jacqueline Young (left) and Altheria Myers,joined Professor Dark and Lani Guinier. Young and Myershelped to coordinate many of the Brown@50 programs spon-sored by the law school.
nation. We acknowledge and especially thankOliver Hill, Julian Dugas ‘49, Robert Carter ‘40,and Louis Pollak for being such a vital part ofHoward’s Brown@50 Project. We were alsoblessed to have the cheerful support, presence,and involvement of family members ofBrown attorneys who have passed away:Mrs. Thurgood Marshall, Charles HamiltonHouston Jr., Charles Hamilton Houston III, Dr.Karina Houston, Mrs. Charles Duncan, andJames Nabrit III.
In the end, the law school’s Brown@50Project was successful whether one measuresthe amount of publicity; the number of peoplewho attended the programs; the number of hitson our Brownat50.org website; the number ofpublications produced, including the fabulousthree-issue volume of the Howard Law Journaldedicated to the legacy of Brown; the number ofvisitors to Damon J. Keith’s historic exhibit“Marching Toward Justice” in our new lawlibrary; the 100 percent participation by the lawfaculty; the overwhelming participation ofboth staff and students; the number of requestsfor information from colleges, universities,school districts, media, and others around thecountry; the number of people who watchedWHUT programming about Brown events, orthe general “buzz” about our activities withinthe metropolitan area and elsewhere in thecountry. Ultimately, we did a good job!
This project’s overall success would nothave been possible without leadership at thetop. In this case, the leadership I am talkingabout is in the office of the dean. Former DeanAlice Gresham Bullock initiated this project inthe fall of 2001, recognizing that it would takemuch time and attention to detail to develop anappropriate commemoration. Interim DeanPatricia M. Worthy provided strategic andlogistical support before and during the com-memorative period.
Dean Kurt L. Schmoke, who came to thelaw school in January 2003, made this com-memoration one of his top priorities. In manythoughtful and countless ways, Dean Schmokemade sure that the Brown@50 Project was anunparalleled tribute. He did not sit by passive-ly while the planning and work were going on.
Rather, he rolled up his sleeves and workedalongside the planning committee from themoment he became dean. His commitmentcannot be overstated, but I wish to note his spe-cial importance to one significant event: thejoint Howard Law–Yale Law conferences. Thisjoint effort between the law schools was initiat-ed by Dean Schmoke and, quite simply,occurred because of his leadership.
At the outset, the planning committee dis-cussed the commemoration in terms of how itcould assess Brown’s impact on the UnitedStates’ educational, social, and economic sys-tems during the past 50 years so that strategiescould be conceived and new frameworks couldbe put in place for the next 50 years. Whatremains for another column is an evaluation ofthe discussion that resulted from our 12 com-memorative events that will lead us to our nextsteps beyond Brown. That effort will supportDean Schmoke’s statement at the beginning ofthis issue of The Jurist: “It is our intention tobuild on the past, not rest on the past.”
1 Former Dean Bullock took a much-deserved sabbatical during the plan-
ning period for the Brown@50 commemoration, and I became the chair of
the project at the end of summer 2002.2 For example, Professor Laurence Nolan was cochair along with Seth
Adam Meinero, Class of 1998, of the Lawyers Panel which was also
widely televised on WHUT. The panel featured some of the original
lawyers in Brown v. Board of Education. Professor Harold McDougall was
the cofaculty adviser to the Howard-Yale Conference (Part I). Professors
Homer LaRue and Carmia Caesar were faculty advisers to the town hall
meeting that was a part of the conference with the Smithsonian’s
National Museum of American History.3 Professor Rhea Ballard-Thrower was the chair of this committee, which
was responsible for work on a reference book that detailed facts and his-
tory of the Brown cases.4 Professor Steve Jamar served as chair and webmaster for the
http://www.brownat50.org website. The website was extremely popu-
lar and a useful resource. At one point, the website was receiving about
1,267 hits per day from locations throughout the world. We are certain
that by any measure, our website not only was an important gateway to
the project but also has continued to provide significant information. 5 Mia Woodard, Class of 2004; David Dillard, Class of 2004; Lani Shaw,
Class of 2005; and Miesha S. Darrough, Class of 2005, have been
admirably professional and dedicated in their service on this project.
28 THE JURIST
The Annual Fund is an opportunity for alumni to support the students and faculty ofthe Howard University School of Law. The fund is a primary resource for studentscholarships, student services, financial aid, capital improvements, and facultydevelopment. Annual Fund gifts allow the school to better prepare its studentsand faculty for leadership in the new millennium.
Annual Fund gifts to Howard University School of Law may be made intwo ways. An unrestricted gift affords the law school the flexibility to earmark
funds according to priorities such as student scholarships, research, or technologyupgrades. An unrestricted gift is a valuable tool that allows the school to respond quickly
to unexpected challenges. The donor may also make a restricted gift. In that case, the donorspecifically identifies the project (e.g., library construction) or scholarship
fund he or she wishes to support. The gift of an alumnus, regardless of the amount or type, provides the following
benefits to Howard University School of Law:
• A first time or renewed gift increases the Alumni Participation Rate. • Foundations and corporations consider the Alumni Participation Rate
a key factor in making their donations. • The level of alumni participation is critical to the law school’s stability.
Buildingfor the
MillenniumGiving Is EasyGifts to Howard University School of Law are tax deductible. You may give ininstallments by using a credit card, check, securities, bequests, or real estate.
For further information on ways to invest, please contact:DIONE TRACI DUCKETT
Senior Director of Development & Alumni Relations
202.806.8177 • e-mail: [email protected] University School of Law •
2900 Van Ness Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008
Howard University School of Law2900 Van Ness Street, N.W.Washington, DC 20008
PRESORTED STDU.S. POSTAGE
PAIDSOUTHERN, MDPERMIT NO. 4820
