Constance Baker Motley was the first African American woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court. Although she is not as well known as someone like Thurgood Marshall, her accomplishments influenced the Civil Rights movement. She believed that she did not experience racism until high school and college, and was not educated on black history until her career. She grew up an enthusiastic reader and was inspired by civil rights activists.
While in college at Columbia University, where she became the first black woman accepted, she met Thurgood Marshall. She worked with Marshall in NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund while Marshall was Chief Counsel. Motley was a significant contributor to the planning of the landmark Brown v Board of Education Supreme Court Case which desegregated schools across the United States. She became the first black woman to argue a case before the United States Supreme Court while arguing for Brown v Board. Additionally, Motley argued in favor of Freedom Ride protesters like MLK, and in favor of James Meredith, the African American attempting to gain admission into the University of Mississippi. He became the first African American to gain admission to the university. Motley won nine out of ten Supreme Court cases she argued for between 1961 and 1963. In addition, Motley became the first African American woman to hold a federal judgeship when former President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed her to the United States District Court.
Motley had incredible success in her law career. Her arguments in favor of civil rights have made strides towards a world in which all races are considered equal. Motley’s work has included far more than school desegregation, as she has advocated for African American voting rights and housing access. Her advocacy for African American civil rights is still appreciated today.
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