Court TV Recognizes the Legal Contributions of African Americans as Part of Black History Month; Network Honors The Accomplishments Of Six African Americans In The Month Of February.Entertainment Editors NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Jan. 22, 2001 Court TV will honor six African Americans, as part of the network's salute to Black History Month this February. The individuals were selected based on their extraordinary contributions to the legal profession, and will be featured in a series of interstitial programming entitled Great Legal Minds In African American History African American history is the portion of American history that specifically discusses the African American or Black American ethnic group in the United States. Most African Americans are the descendants of African slaves held in the United States from 1619 to 1865. . Hosted by award-winning actress Phylicia Rashad for the second year in a row, the series will highlight each honoree and the accomplishments of their legal careers. "Court TV is delighted to pay tribute to these remarkable individuals," commented Henry Schleiff, Chairman and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Court TV. "Their outstanding contributions to the legal profession not only have benefited African Americans, but also have improved the lives of all Americans. And, that is why Court TV is honoring them." This year's honorees include: Mary Frances Berry Mary Frances Berry is the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania and the former chairwoman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. She is also the former board chair of Pacifica Radio. (of Washington, DC) - A scholar, lawyer and educator, Mary Frances Berry stands out as an advocate for the rights of black and poor people. As a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, she took on conservative Presidents and Members of Congress to continue the fight for equal rights for all. In 1977 she was Chief Educational Officer of the United States. Berry was appointed to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission in 1980 and was named its chairperson in 1993. Florynce Rae Kennedy (deceased) - At the forefront of civil and women's rights The effort to secure equal rights for women and to remove gender discrimination from laws, institutions, and behavioral patterns. The women's rights movement began in the nineteenth century with the demand by some women reformers for the right to vote, known as suffrage, and in the '60s and '70s, attorney Kennedy worked to combat racism in the media. She also founded the Feminist Party, and literally "wrote the book" on abortion rights. Gabrielle Kirk McDonald (of New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. ) - McDonald worked as Staff Attorney for the NAACP NAACP in full National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Oldest and largest U.S. civil rights organization. It was founded in 1909 to secure political, educational, social, and economic equality for African Americans; W.E.B. Du Bois and Ida B. and specialized in civil rights cases. In 1993, she presided over the first international war crimes trial in half a century. She was elected President of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, where she continued the battle for human rights around the world. Constance Baker Motley Constance Baker Motley (14 September 1921–28 September 2005) was an African American civil rights activist, lawyer, judge, and state senator. She was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the ninth of twelve children. (of New York City) - Hired by Thurgood Marshall as an NAACP Legal Defense Attorney, Constance Baker Motley was a key strategist in the fight for desegregation desegregation: see integration. . She was chief legal counsel in the battle to integrate the University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1848, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford and three branch campuses located in Booneville, Tupelo, and Southaven. , NY State Senator in 1964, Federal Court Judge in 1965, and was named chief judge in the largest federal court in 1982. John S. Rock (deceased) - Born to free black parents in 1825, John S. Rock stirred audiences with speeches full of racial pride and pointed out the need for economic opportunity. He argued cases before the Supreme Court. Bruce M. Wright (of Old Saybrook, CT) - Appointed as the General Counsel for the Human Resources Administration in NYC NYC abbr. New York City NYC New York City , Wright served as a judge in New York's civil and criminal courts and was elected to NY State Supreme Court in 1982. Judge Wright was critical of the judicial system and felt that race and class all too frequently determined the outcome of a trial. The honorees, each of whom must have a law degree, were selected by Court TV based on their legal impact and strong moral compass and their contribution to advancing not only African American rights but human rights as well. In February of last year, Court TV featured the legal accomplishments of 10 African Americans during Black History Month. Among last year's honorees were Julian Bond, Marian Wright Edelman Marian Wright Edelman (born June 6, 1939, in Bennettsville, South Carolina) is an American activist for the rights of children. She is president and founder of the Children's Defense Fund. , Patricia Harris, Leon Higginbotham, Charles Houston, Elaine Jones, Barbara Jordan, Damon Keith, Lutie Lytle and Thurgood Marshall. Their profiles, along with this year's six honorees, will be featured throughout the month of February on Court TV. The profiles also will be shown on Court TV's website at www.courttv.com. Phylicia Rashad, best known for her role as Claire Huxtable on The Cosby Show, is the perfect blend of grace and intelligence to present the series. Her passion concerning education and African American history are evident in many of her off-camera causes. She is an active participant in charitable and non-profit organizations, and supports the work of the PRASAD Prasāda (Sanskrit: प्रसाद), prasād/prashad (Hindi), Prasāda in (Kannada), prasādam (Tamil), or prasadam Project, an international charitable organization. As she has noted regarding Great Legal Minds In African American History, "It's not important that these great legal minds are the first in their fields, but that all had law degrees and used their minds to change the ills in society regarding the African American community." Court TV (http://www.courttv.com), a basic cable network, provides a window on the American system of justice through distinctive programming that both informs and entertains. As the first and only cable network dedicated to crime and justice, Court TV broadcasts court trials by day, and crime stories in the evening. A service of AOL (A division of Time Warner, Inc., New York, NY, www.aol.com) The world's largest online information service with access to the Internet, e-mail, chat rooms and a variety of databases and services. Time Warner and Liberty Media Corp., Court TV has over 51 million subscribers and has current commitments to reach 60 million by the end of 2001. |
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