Continuing our representation of important African-American leaders, blogger Elizabeth shares the most influential and inspirational African-American Lawyers.

By Elizabeth Shay

In honor of Black History Month, and combining my interest in law, here is a list of five revolutionary Black lawyers that have played an important role in history and deserve to be recognized.

Macon Bolling Allen (1816-1894)

In the 1840s, Macon Bolling Allen left his job as a teacher in Indiana and became an apprentice to prominent attorney and abolitionist, General Samuel Fessenden (LawWorks). Many believe Allen was the first African American to be licensed to practice law in the United States, at a time when Black Americans were not even considered citizens. And, Macon was licensed to practice in two states–Maine and Massachusetts. Allen was also the first African-American Justice of the Peace. He was a partner in the first known African-American owned firm, established in South Carolina in 1868.

Notable fact: It is reported that Allen walked 50 miles to take the bar exam in Massachusetts because he couldn’t afford transportation (MesserliKramer).

Charlotte E. Ray (1850-1911)

Charlotte E. Ray became the first Black woman to earn a law degree in 1872. She graduated from Howard University, specializing in corporate law. Ray was also the first female admitted to the District of Columbia Bar and became the first female to practice before the Supreme Court in D.C. This allowed women in other states to seek admission to their state bars. Charlotte Ray also opened her own law office before becoming active in the women’s suffrage movement. She was praised for her eloquence and comprehensive legal expertise (LawWorks).

Notable fact: In order to disguise her identity as an African-American woman, it is alleged that Ray applied to the bar under the name C.E. Ray (MesserliKramer).

Jane Bolin (1908-2007)

Jane Bolin’s father was a successful lawyer in New York. After graduating from Wellesley College, she was accepted into Yale University despite discouragement from an advisor. Bolin became the first African-American woman to graduate from Yale Law School. In 1931, she passed the bar in New York City and began practicing in 1932 (LawWorks). A woman of many firsts, she was appointed as the first African-American female judge and the first to work in New York City’s legal department, in the office of the corporation counsel. She was a judge in Family Court and took on domestic issues, helping neglected and orphaned children, and changing segregationist policies that assigned probation officers based on skin color and the placement of children in child-care agencies based on ethnic background.

Notable fact: Jane Bolin chose not to wear judicial robes in order to help the children she worked with feel more comfortable (MesserliKramer).

Charles Hamilton Houston (1895-1950)

Charles Hamilton Houston started out as an English professor and eventually became known as “the man who killed Jim Crow.” While Houston was serving in the U.S. Infantry as a First Lieutenant during World War I, he experienced blatant bigotry so he enrolled at Harvard Law. He became the first Black-American editor of the Harvard Law Review, earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1923, and joined the Washington D.C. bar in 1924. Houston went on to become Dean of Howard University School of Law, helping make the institution the leading training center for civil rights activists pursuing law. Charles also served as the first special counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and was involved in almost every Supreme Court case about civil rights between 1930 and 1950. 

Notable fact: Houston wrote the strategy for ending segregation in public schools by proving that it would be more expensive to create “separate but equal” schools than it was to allow integration (LawWorks). 

Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993)

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Top student and protegé of Charles Hamilton Houston, Thurgood Marshall graduated from Howard University after being rejected from the University of Maryland Law School on the basis of his race. After graduating and passing the bar, Marshall successfully sued the University of Maryland on behalf of another Black student who was denied admission there. Marshall was the first African American to be nominated to the Supreme Court. He was the Court’s first African American justice, serving from 1967 to 1991. He also served as the 32nd Solicitor General and judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. Thurgood Marshall established a legal practice in Baltimore and founded the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. He led the landmark case, Brown v. Board of Education, that outlawed racial segregation in schools (LawWorks).

Notable fact: Marshall represented and won more Supreme Court cases than anyone else in history.

These lawyers have each made history in their own way. As we move forward to the future, reflecting on the struggles and achievements from those in the past allows us to make progress. As Thurgood Marshall said, “Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country” (judgeawcenter.umd.ed).

Sources Referenced:

https://lawworks.com/en/blog/read/1260974717/black-lawyers-who-changed-the-world

Five Inspirational African American Lawyers

Black History Month Editor: Evan Spry

This month we celebrate “Black History Month.” Blogger Erik looks to Black Panther–a film that rocked movie theaters around the world with its amazing all-Black cast, Black superhero story, and attention to cultural detail.

Names

Most of the film’s characters are lifted directly from the pages of the Black Panther comic books. However, their names have real-life origins. The names of Black Panther characters include . . .

Okoye

• Translation: “Born on orie market day”
• Origin: Igbo (language), Eastern Nigeria 

Shuri (right)

• Translation: “Village”
• Origin: Japan

Nakia (left)

• Translation: “Pure and faithful”
• Origin: Egypt

Zuri

• Translation: “Beautiful”
• Origin: Swahili (language)

 

Dora Milaje

One of the best parts of the movie was the all-female warrior unit: the Dora Milaje. Led by Okoye, the Dora Milaje are fierce and loyal to the Wakandan throne. Their design is a culmination of numerous cultural aspects. 

The idea of an all-female warrior unit is not just a sign of progressive times. The Dora Milaje actually draw inspiration from a real-life group of warrior women who fought French colonial forces in the 1600s. The “Dahomey Amazons,” as they’re called by Western historians, were created because their nation needed manpower to fight colonists, but most of the manpower had been stolen by slave traders. So, King Ghezo, ruler of Dahomey (modern-day Benin), created the female military unit.

The tall spears and red armor of the Dora Milaje warriors resemble the semi-nomadic Maasai tribe of northern Tanzania and southern Kenya. The beaded and disc necklaces seen worn by other Wakandans were also borrowed from the Maasai.

Speaking of neck jewelry, the golden neck rings originate from the Ndebele tribe of South Africa. Traditionally, Ndebele men give these rings to their wives after they’ve built a house together. However, these rings have lately become a fashion trend in modern-day South Africa.

Language

Even though Wakandans are fictional, their language is very much real. The Wakandas speak isiXhosa, which is the native language of the real-life Xhosa people of South Africa. Namhla Mbawuli, a isiXhosa speaker who lives in Johannesburg, claimed the inclusion of the language in Black Panther is “phenomenal” and “reinforces the importance of our culture, accepting our language and having pride in being Xhosa” (www.nytimes.com).

Sadly, Black Panther’s lead Chadwick Boseman passed away August 28, 2020. Mr. Boseman, you’ll always be king in our hearts. #WakandaForever

Sources

• http://www.nytimes.com
• https://qz.com/africa/1210704/black-panthers-african-cultures-and-influences/ 
• http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20180826-the-legend-of-benins-fearless-female-warriors 

Black History Month Editor: Evan Spry

Although we may all have our own personal missed opportunities, we can all learn from those of others, including businesses. If you ever start your own business, DON’T MAKE THESE MISTAKES!

By Sara Habibipour

My Space and Facebook

Nowadays, no one in the younger generation knows about MySpace. But, back in the day, it was Facebook’s major competitor, and even had an advantage over them, as Facebook was created after MySpace. To try and eliminate their competition, MySpace had the opportunity to buy out Facebook in 2004, but they ended up not following through. This missed opportunity turned out to be fatal. In 2005, NewsCorp bought MySpace for $580 million, and it was sold again in 2011 for a mere $35 million, leading to the death of MySpace (Love Money). If only MySpace had acquired the world’s most-used social media platform when they had the chance….

Mars and E.T.

In the 1980s, Steven Spielberg was looking for chocolate to feature in his upcoming movie E.T., so he approached Mars, the company that makes M&Ms. He asked if they wanted to be featured in his project. Mars declined the product placement offer, and Hershey’s Reese’s Pieces accepted the offer instead. Hershey’s agreed to spend $1 million for the promotion on the condition that the company could use E.T. in its own marketing. This was a huge success for Reese’s, which saw a 65% jump in profits two weeks after the movie premiered in 1982 (Elite Business Magazine).

Blockbuster and Netflix

In 2000, movie rental company, Blockbuster, was the king of  home entertainment. But, then came Netflix, a struggling online mail order company in need of cash. Its CEO offered to sell for $50 million to companies such as Blockbuster, but they didn’t take the offer. Then, Netflix made a move that absolutely murdered Blockbuster; they got into streaming and people stopped renting DVDs. Today Netflix is valued at more than $213.9 billion (Love Money), and its stock has reached a record high (even higher than Disney!). Blockbuster Video is, well, dead. 

Sources: 

https://www.lovemoney.com/gallerylist/67869/the-biggest-missed-business-opportunities-ever

http://elitebusinessmagazine.co.uk/analysis/item/these-nine-missed-opportunities-cost-companies-billions-learn-from-their-mistakes

Missed Opportunities Editor: Erik Bearman 

We all know the classic TV show The Simpsons. But did you know that The Simpsons can predict the future? Blogger Evan looks back on this show to see what’s coming in 2021. “D’oh!” 

By Evan Spry

As 2020 came to an end, many of us found ourselves rushing as fast as possible to leave the year that none of us will forget. We all felt like somehow, just because the year would no longer be “2020,” that we would get a clean slate to start working on and we wouldn’t have to worry about the problems we faced so recently. The level of haste in the transition to the new year caused most of us to skip over necessary precautions that would prepare us for the future. One of these extremely important precautions that we must take before entering the new year is checking the forever-wise and accurate animated oracle, The Simpsons. Over the years, fans of the legendary animated series have spotted clues/hints in certain episodes that uncannily predict the future. This year was no exception. 

Inauguration Day 2021

As recently as last year, The Simpsons made some pretty bold predictions about the beginning of 2021 that would remind any American about the current situation we’re in. Popbuzz.com describes, “In The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXXI, it’s US election day in 2020 and Homer sleeps right through it. We’re then shown Inauguration Day, 20 January 2021, and full-on chaos has ensured[sp]. The series depicts a Doomsday apocalypse in which the US has turned to war.” Now, fortunately, none of these things have actually happened, but many similarities ring true. It’s pretty interesting seeing an episode from a year ago predict that we would be in some sort of political crisis that would lead to chaos and war by Inauguration Day, 2021. A year ago obviously doesn’t sound like that long ago, but we both know that it feels like it’s been half-a-decade since then. Below is a picture from last year’s Simpsons episode. 

Animated Insurrection

Unsurprisingly, this is not the only instance of a prediction relating to our current situation. In The Simpsons’s 1996 episode, I’m an Amendment To Be, Bart and Lisa watch an episode which appears to be a parody of SchoolHouse Rock. Instead of a bill, the protagonist is a singing amendment that is trying to make it illegal to burn the American flag. If the amendment passes, “police can beat them [flag burners]” (The Simpsons). By the end of the amendment’s song, a politician opens the door to the Capitol Building for the amendment character, and the amendment yells out, “Door’s open boys!” This was followed by a crowd of gun-toting and bomb-throwing yokels in amendment/paper form storming up the Capitol steps. Even though the scene isn’t 100 percent parallel to what is happening today, it is still crazy to see these images, which were made in 1996. 

As we all start to heal from the countless hardships 2020 threw at us and then the embarrassment that happened on the 6th of this year, we should look back at The Simpsons and try our hardest to take after them. Because, even though they may fight, argue, and even hate each other at some points, they always come back together in love because . . . they’re a family. 

https://www.popbuzz.com/tv-film/news/simpsons-predictions-2021/

2021 Predictions Editor: Sara Habibipour

Have you bought your yearbook yet? 

If not, you better hurry up and purchase it! The early-bird price of $55 lasts only until January 4. Don’t miss out on this great deal! 

You can purchase the yearbook using this link: https://www.balfour.com/student-info?smi=4409 

You can also shop for some cool accessories to add to your yearbook. We have name stamps!

Ads are also available for purchase. We offer quarter-page, half-page, and full-page ads. Price information can be found on the website link above. 

Scientific Reports published a study that describes engineering the voice of Nesyamun–an ancient Egyptian priest and scribe . . . by combining his 3D-printed mouth and throat with an artificial larynx and using speech synthesizing software.

What long-ago sound do you wish to hear, if you could engineer a way. Would you choose the voice of a loved one or important historical figure, the sounds of an extinct animal or by-gone technology, or perhaps simply the everyday sounds of a different era?

*”. . . if I could choose a sound, I would do something selfish and choose to listen to my past self. It is hard to be satisfied with life’s work sometimes, but if I looked back and listened to what a FOOL younger me was, I’d laugh at him and remember how far I’ve come. Alternatively, what did George Washington sound like?”–Luke Langlois

*”I wish I could hear the voice of a dragon, even just a mythical symbol…But I believe that voice must be very spectacular and unparalleled!”–Quintus Ni

*”One sound that I would like to hear again would be the sound of the lower school. Even though the drama could be terrible (and it was terrible) I would give anything just to go back. I miss my friends. I miss playing tag. I  miss the immaturity that came with bliss.”–Katelin Slosky

*”I would listen to dinosaurs that have never been heard,

I would listen to birds and animals that have long been dead,

I would listen to the voices  of leaders of the past,

I would listen to my grandfather sing.”–Renée Vazquez

*”The voices I want to hear are the voices from Alexander Hamilton and George Washington. After hearing ‘Hamilton’s’ voice from the musical I wonder what the actual Hamilton would sound like. And I’d also like to hear George Washington’s voice too since . . . he had wooden teeth.”–Chelsea Xu

*”When my mother was a child, she lived in a place where there was no fast transportation. The airport was just built. The houses were short and not solid, but there would be no earthquake, because we were in the basin. Every time I do my homework by the window at noon, she can hear the distant peddling sound downstairs and the sound of hammering: “dingding tang, dingtang…”. Dingtang is a kind of maltose with sticky teeth, which is very cheap, but it can recall her memories. I would like to hear that voice, which will bring me back to my family childhood.”–Doreen Yu

*”I want to hear John Von Wolfgang Goethe’s voice, I am exceptionally interested in his way of being both a philosopher and romanticist because most of the philosophers I have known so far would not step in the romantic realm. Reading his work Faust is like reading a compilation of Shakespeare’s poems, the way he writes and how his quotes sound most of the time makes me feel like Goethe speaks like a combination of Victor Hugo and Arthur Schopenhauer (one is a romantic writer, one is a pessimist philosopher). I would really want to hear his unique romantic way of speaking.”–James Zheng