[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 124 (Thursday, September 29, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10720-S10721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING JUDGE CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY

 Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise to honor and celebrate the 
remarkable life and legacy of Judge Constance Baker Motley, a 
trailblazer for civil rights who dedicated her life to advancing the 
American values of justice and equality for all.
  Judge Motley was born and raised in New Haven, CT at a time when 
women and minorities were denied the right to an equal education, and 
employment, housing and voting rights. Despite remarkable odds, Judge 
Motley decided at the age of 15 that she would be an attorney. Although 
she was discouraged by many, Judge Motley remarked that she was ``the 
kind of person who would not be put down.''
  Judge Motley graduated from Columbia Law School in 1946 and joined 
the legal staff of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. It 
was there that for nearly 20 years, Judge Motley orchestrated the legal 
challenge to the ``separate but equal doctrine,'' culminating in the 
Supreme Court victory in Brown v. Board of Education that guaranteed 
equal educational opportunities for all Americans. In addition to the 
seminal decision in Brown, Judge Motley argued the 1957 school 
desegregation case in Little Rock, AR that led President Eisenhower to 
call in federal troops to protect nine black students at Central High 
School. During Judge Motley's tenure at the NAACP, she successfully 
argued numerous cases desegregating restaurants and recreational 
facilities in Southern cities and cases overturning the convictions of 
the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and countless others who engaged in 
nonviolent sit-ins and protests of discriminatory practices.
  In 1965, Judge Motley became the first woman to be elected president 
of the Borough of Manhattan where she continued to advocate for the 
rights of women, minorities and the poor. In 1966, President Johnson 
appointed Judge Motley to the United States District Court for the 
Southern District of New York. With her appointment, Judge Motley 
became the first African-American woman appointed to the Federal 
judiciary, where she served until 1986 when she assumed senior status.
  Judge Motley's dedication and commitment to justice and equality 
changed our Nation for the better and

[[Page S10721]]

paved the way for women, minorities and the poor to enjoy the rights 
and privileges guaranteed by our constitution. Judge Motley stood tall 
in the face of great adversary for what was right. We all stand taller 
because of her life and because she was the kind of person who would 
not be put down.

                          ____________________