[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 160 (Tuesday, October 8, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN HONOR OF THE INDUCTION OF THE CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY ESTATE INTO THE 
                       CONNECTICUT FREEDOM TRAIL

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 8, 2019

  Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight an important 
development in my district. On Sunday, October 6th, the estate of the 
renowned civil rights activist, lawyer, and judge, Constance Baker 
Motley, was designated as a heritage site on the Connecticut Freedom 
Trail.
  The Connecticut Freedom Trail is a state designation which recognizes 
carefully selected sites that celebrate extraordinary African Americans 
whose lives have greatly expanded the circle of freedom and opportunity 
for all Americans. Judge Motley, an icon of civil rights advancements 
and justice for all, kept a home away from home in the town of Chester, 
part of Connecticut's Second District, for 40 years.
  It is important that we recognize this historic site because of the 
extraordinary life and legacy of Judge Motley. Born and raised in New 
Haven, CT, Judge Motley was a first generation American, the child of 
Caribbean immigrants. At an early age, a local philanthropist offered 
to fund her college education, after hearing her speak at a community 
event. After graduating from New York University, she attended Columbia 
Law School at which point she joined the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund. As 
a contemporary of great civil rights activists like Dr. Martin Luther 
King, Jr, and Justice Thurgood Marshall, Judge Motley helped litigate 
most of the defining civil rights cases of the era, including the 
landmark Brown v. Board of Education.
  After a successful career as a lawyer and activist, she became the 
first female African American New York State Senator. Then, in 1966, 
President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed her to the federal district court 
for the Southern District of New York, making her the first black woman 
to serve on the federal judiciary. There, she spent the next 40 years 
shaping the legal landscape of the 20th century and even became the 
court's Chief judge. It was during this part of her life that Judge 
Motley often escaped to her Chester home with her family.
  I'd like to thank the Chester Land Trust and the greater Chester 
community for embracing Judge Constance Baker Motley's legacy by 
preserving her home and estate. I'd also like to thank the Motley and 
Coleman families for being so supportive of this endeavor.
  We honor Judge Constance Baker Motley's life and legacy by inducting 
her historic home into the Connecticut Freedom Trail. Colleagues, I ask 
that you please rise and join me in acknowledging this special occasion 
and the incredible woman we have to thank for it.

                          ____________________