On May 25, the Women’s Bar of DC honored Nancy Duff Campbell as the 2010 Woman Lawyer of the Year. Nancy Duff Campbell is the founder and president of the National Women’s Law Center for over 30 years. She founded the National Women’s Law Center at a time when there were few legal rights organizations advocating for women and particularly low income women. Campbell has spent her lifetime fighting for civil rights, poverty laws and women’s rights. Early on in her career, she recalls leaving New York to travel to Selma, Alabama to assist in the fight for civil rights. She recalls meeting and briefing Martin Luther King, Jr. about the violent activities of the Selma police towards the peaceful and nonviolent marchers. Over the past 30 years, she’s fought for changes in poverty law and welfare rights, notably for passage of laws permitting welfare recipients to move to another state without losing their benefits. In addressing the over 1500 attendees, she reiterated a theme worth … [Read more...] about Woman Lawyer of the Year
Archives for May 2010
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
The state of Ohio reaches a settlement of $1 million for a former inmate who was freed and exonerated after spending 18 years in jail for the rape and abduction of a ten year old in 1991. New DNA evidence proved his innocence after he’s spent 1/3 of his life in jail for a crime he did not commit. Is $1 million the equivalent value for the 18 years he spent in jail. It amounts to approximately $45,000 per year for each of the 18 years behind bars. Robert McClendon was 36 when he was wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. Many state laws limit the amount that a person may receive for wrongful incarceration. Yet, a paltry $1 million for the loss of his life for 18 years is a crime. What do you think? Share | … [Read more...] about Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
KRXA Interview on Elena Kagan’s Nomination
Please listen to my radio interview on May 12, 2010 on KRXA in Monterey, CA on Elena Kagan's nomination by clicking the link below: KRXA Share … [Read more...] about KRXA Interview on Elena Kagan’s Nomination
Elena Kagan- The President’s Choice for Supreme Court
Written by Debbie Hines for the Women's Media Center, an Exclusive For his second nomination to the high court, President Obama once more chooses a woman—one who lacks a paper trail of judicial opinions and has a history of pulling support from more than one ideological sector. And that, argues the author, is what makes some people nervous. Trailblazing leader Elena Kagan has made history as the first female solicitor general, first female dean of the Harvard Law School and now the nominee to be the fourth woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. President Obama chose Kagan to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens and serve along with the two current women justices, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. Having three women serve together for the first time in the Supreme Court’s 221-year history will bring that institution one step closer to reflecting the population it serves. Yet, I am disappointed that the Supreme Court will still lack an African American … [Read more...] about Elena Kagan- The President’s Choice for Supreme Court
The Media’s Lopsided View on Black Women’s Issues
Recently, ABC’s Nightline aired a segment on single successful African American women. The segment was titled Why Can’t Successful Black Women Find a Man? Nightline featured a panel of so called experts on the subject including comedians Steve Harvey and Sherrie Shepherd, actor Hill Harper, Jimi Izrael and Jacque Reid. The show presented a face off between the men and women panelists. Actor Hill Harper recognized the seriousness of the issue. He articulated that the issue was really about the breakdown of the black family. So where were the renowned relationship experts who could shed intelligent light on the subject? Where were the black Dr. Phil’s? Why weren’t they considered in doing the segment? ABC’s Nightline bills itself as a late night news program. It is not a daytime talk show but one where people turn to see more news after the news. There are black PhD’s and psychologists who are qualified to speak on black relationship topics. The segment would have been balanced … [Read more...] about The Media’s Lopsided View on Black Women’s Issues