Social Justice
Civil Rights pioneer Constance Motley honored with USPS stamp
Constance Baker Motley will be honored with a USPS stamp as part of their Black Heritage series.
The 47th stamp of the USPS Black Heritage series will honor civil rights pioneer Constance Baker Motley.
USPS stamp for Constance Baker Motley
The stamp features a portrait of Motley by artist Charly Palmer, based on an Associated Press photograph (USPS |https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2023/1222ma-usps-celebrates-judiciary-trailblazer-constance-baker-motley-with-47th-black-heritage-stamp.htm)
Motley was a civil rights activist and the first African American woman to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court and the first to serve as a federal judge.
A dedication ceremony will take place Wednesday, January 31, at the Constance Baker Motley Recreation Center New York, NY 10022.
Her career
Born in 1921 in New Haven, CT, Motley started her career in 1945 when she worked for the future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall at the NAACP’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
From 1945 to 1965, Motley worked on about 60 cases that reached the Supreme Court. She won nine of the 10 cases she argued before the Court.
In 1966, Motley was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
She rose to chief judge in 1982 and senior judge in 1986.
Motley passed away in 2005 at 84 years old from congestive heart failure.
The stamp features a portrait of Motley by artist Charly Palmer, based on an Associated Press photograph.
For more information please visit USPS.
Real stories. Real impact. Straight to your inbox. Join thousands others. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter today!
Follow us on Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram
Pregnant mother of two killed in Atlanta highway shooting while driving home
South Florida woman reportedly set on fire by roommate, GoFundMe launched to support medical costs
Boston’s Black Market Nubian faces April 30 closure as community mobilizes to save cultural hub
Man charged in March crash that killed beloved New Jersey mother
Ashlee Jenae’s father launches GoFundMe to help family bury late influencer
Shaquille O’Neal pays for funeral costs for 12‑year‑old Jada West, Georgia officials say
New Jersey police reach $4 million settlement with children of woman killed by ex-husband, a former police officer
Asbury Park High School: Crossover event esports and history with Tina Watson
Jury awards California woman $15 million after supervisor called her n-word
GoFundMe launched for Cleveland deacon recovering after brutal attack outside church
OWN greenlights first-ever ‘Belle Collective’ spinoff Belle Collective: Birmingham
Hazel Scott’s legacy returns to Harlem in free outdoor film screening
Olympic Gymnast Frederick Richard sets world record, raises $50K for Ugandan youth
Renee Ferguson, trailblazing investigative journalist, dies at 75
“AfroPoP Digital Shorts” returns to the land with “Sweet Samara,” climate and abolitionist film
-
Community2 weeks agoDallas barber creates sensory‑friendly haircut experiences for neurodivergent children
-
Community2 weeks agoGoFundMe launched for family of 7‑month‑old girl killed in Brooklyn shooting
-
Crime & Justice2 weeks agoFlorida Vice Mayor found slain at home was sister of Parkland survivor who died by suicide
-
In Memoriam2 weeks agoDee Freeman, veteran actress known for The Young and the Restless and Sistas, dies at 66
-
Community2 weeks agoArkansas mother fights for her life as she awaits rare dual organ transplant
-
Science2 weeks agoVictor Glover makes history on Artemis II as crew travels toward the moon
-
New Jersey4 days agoAshlee Jenae’s father launches GoFundMe to help family bury late influencer
-
In Memoriam7 days agoAfrika Bambaataa’s legacy and controversy: Remembering the hip-hop pioneer
-
Community3 days agoBoston’s Black Market Nubian faces April 30 closure as community mobilizes to save cultural hub
-
Crime & Justice5 days agoPregnant rapper and nursing student Qualeisha “Siditty” Barnes fatally shot in Atlanta