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First black female federal judge, a New Haven native, may soon receive congressional medal posthumously

The Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2022 is expected to receive bipartisan support.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Many are certain, if Judge Constance Baker Motley, a Black woman and New Haven native, were alive today, she would be President Joe Biden's nominee to fill the upcoming Supreme Court vacancy.

Tuesday, U.S. Rep Rosa DeLauro (D - Connecticut) talked about a bill she introduced last week that would deliver the late judge some well-deserved recognition.

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It was appropriate that Tuesday's bill announcement was held inside the Dixwell Community House because it was in this New Haven neighborhood where Constance Baker Motley grew up, later becoming the first black female federal judge.

As a pioneer, who would have turned 100 several months ago, congressional legislation was introduced nominating her for a congressional gold medal.

"(She was) the first Black woman to attend Columbia University School of Law, the first Black woman to argue in front of the United States Supreme Court, the only female attorney on the legal team that won Brown vs Board of Education," noted DeLauro.

That was a landmark desegregation case. Baker Motley won nine of her 10 civil rights cases she argued before the Supreme Court, representing some very high-profile clients.

"People like Martin Luther King Jr., who she also got out of jail a few times," said Prof. Gary Ford of the City University of New York.

He called the judge, who died in 2005, his role model, later writing a book titled "Constance Baker Motley: One Woman's Fight for Civil Rights and Equal Justice under Law."

"I began to realize that there was a historical record that did not have certain names in it and Constance Baker Motley's was the most prominent name that I could think of," Ford said about writing the book.

Retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer spoke very highly of her, as well.

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"He said that 'if she had come around 20 years later she would've been on the Supreme Court,'" Ford said of Breyer's complement of Baker Motley.

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The Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2022 is expected to receive bipartisan support but just when the measure might receive the necessary votes remains unknown. 

Tony Terzi is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tterzi@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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