Judge Constance Baker Motley, who was born in New Haven, was praised Thursday night as Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention.
Harris has previously referred to Motley as one of her heroes and said she learned about the Civil Rights Movement from her parents.
“They made sure we learned about civil rights leaders, including lawyers like Thurgood Marshal and Constance Baker Motley,” Harris said. “Those who battled in the courtroom to make real the Promise of America. So, at a young age, I decided I wanted to do that work. I wanted to be a lawyer.”
Motley was the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge. She played a pivotal role in the 1954 landmark case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which helped to end segregation in public schools.
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While her career was impactful, her niece and namesake Constance Royster said her story needs to be included in discussion about the Civil Rights Movement.
“It’s extraordinarily important to uplift Judge Motley’s story, because the story hasn’t been told very well or at all,” said Royster, who, like her aunt, is a lawyer.
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She said her aunt's name needs to be included in the same sentence as leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall.
High school students Kendall Costello and Abigail Alexander agree. They are working on a children’s book that tells Motley’s story.
“I just want people to realize what an amazing person she was and understand what she did for our country,” Costello said.
“She’s kind of been forgotten, so we’re really excited to bring her to life,” Alexander said.
And while Harris reintroduced the world to Motley at the convention, Royster said we must keep teaching her history.
“Such a joy, that her name was being mentioned,” she said. “It’s important to me and my family that her legacy be preserved.”
