Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality

by Tomiko Brown-Nagin

The first major biography of one of our most influential but least known judicial activists that provides an eye-opening account of the twin struggles for gender equality and civil rights in the 20th century.

Born to an aspirational blue-collar family during the Great Depression, Constance Baker Motley was expected to find herself a good career as a hair dresser. Instead, she became the first Black woman to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court, the first of ten she would eventually argue. The only Black woman member in the legal team at the NAACP's Inc. Fund at the time, she defended Martin Luther King, Jr. in Birmingham, helped to argue Brown vs. The Board of Education, and played a critical role in vanquishing Jim Crow laws throughout the South. She was the first Black woman elected to the state Senate in New York, the first woman elected Manhattan Borough President, and the first Black woman appointed to the federal judiciary.

Civil Rights Queen captures the story of a remarkable American life, a figure who remade law and inspired the imaginations of African Americans across the country. Building on an extraordinary wealth of research, Tomiko Brown-Nagin, an award-winning, esteemed civil rights and legal historian and dean of the Radcliffe Institute, compels us to ponder some of our most timeless and urgent questions. How do the historically marginalized access the corridors of power? What is the price of the ticket? How does access to power shape individuals committed to social justice?

In Civil Rights Queen, she dramatically fills out the picture of some of the most profound judicial and societal change made in 20-century America.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Race, Social Justice, Politics, Law

Audiobook

First published January 25, 2022

About the author

Tomiko Brown-Nagin is Professor of Law and Professor of History at Harvard University. She earned a doctorate in history from Duke, a law degree from Yale, where she served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal, and a B.A. in history, summa cum laude, from Furman University. An expert on constitutional law, social and legal history, education law, and inequality, Brown-Nagin has published widely in these areas.

Reviews

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality is a thoroughly researched biography written by Tomiko Brown-Nagin. I was unaware of Constance Baker Motley's influence and activism during the Civil Rights movement. She was the first Black woman to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court, the first Black woman elected to the NY Senate, and she was a judicial activist with NAACP. She also worked for Thurgood Marshall.

I learned a tremendous amount and greatly appreciate the courage, grit, determination, and results Motley achieved.

My suggestions for improving the book would be to make it more succinct and to utilize a narrative nonfiction approach.

[Krystie Herndon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always thrilled to read stories about Americans that must be told. I met this incredible woman in 1993, when she came to speak at the law school at which I toiled as a faculty secretary. Since one of the faculty members I worked for was hosting Ms. Motley, I was invited to join them for lunch at a nearby restaurant. I had had the foresight to bring my copy of the book I DREAM A WORLD, for Ms. Motley to autograph for me--one of my prized possessions. Sitting at the opposite end of the table from the venerable judge, I was quietly and quickly eating my lunch. I looked up, and noticed the judge's gaze on me (I was the only other Black woman at the table). She smiled, and I'm sure I must have turned red, assuming that I looked foolish and young to her, or perhaps had food on my face. After reading this book, I guess perhaps she was just trying to put me at ease. I'll never know, but I hope I can pay forward the work that she did for all of us, in opening gates of opportunity for all Americans.

[Mary Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Motley is an inspiration. I think many people have not heard of her; I did not know of her until I heard this author interviewed. She deserves to be a household name for her great work and accomplishments. If you like history and care about civil rights, you should definitely consider this book.

I was glad that I happened to be reading this book during the confirmations hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson, who identified Motley as one of her role models. In her confirmation hearings for the District Court for the Southern District of New York, Motley was subjected to some of the same kind of nonsense and disrespect that KJB experienced last week. In fact, some think that Motley herself should have been nominated to the Supreme Court herself. The book was a fascinating and timely read.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this well-told and evenhanded biography. I didn't know much about CBM, and this biography gave me a deeper appreciation and admiration for her pioneering work as a civil rights attorney, and later as a federal judge. Her important legal cases are discussed, and I liked learning more about them. Her family and personal life are also covered since she wasn't only about her hard work. I recommend this book to anybody who wants to learn more about the civil rights era, especially how it was handled in the courts.

[Justice Simanek · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When icons of opportunity and diversity take the reins of power in American institutions, the structure envelopes them. That is the price of the ticket. The system admits outsiders who play by its rules, fits them into its logic, and permits incremental reform."

Civil Rights Queen by Tomiko Brown-Nagin is the culmination of a decade-long research effort into the life of Constance Baker Motley, one of the leading civil rights attorneys during the civil rights movement, and the first black woman to be appointed to the federal judiciary. A biography of Motley, Civil Rights Queen does not hold back in its criticisms of this amazing trailblazer. While Motley undeniably shaped the case law that led up to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, as a jurist she also let down a large number of plaintiffs seeking justice under the very same Act.

Civil Rights Queen is well-researched and an important text that should have been published decades ago. Throughout my time at law school and college, I don't ever recall learning about Motley. That in and of itself says a lot. I recommend this book to everyone, but specifically law students and lawyers. While the law has moved forward since the Civil Rights Movement, it has moved slowly in incremental steps. Brown-Nagin's book can serve as a well-needed jolt to those (white) law students and lawyers who feel too comfortable in the false notion that we as a nation are far removed from 1960s de jure racism.

All in all, Motley's historic life needs to be more well-known and read. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Pantheon for this free review copy. Civil Rights Queen will be released on January 24, 2022.

[Tamyka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive and well rounded objective but definitely told through a CRT lens which was absolutely the right choice and would have lacked critical truths without it I recommend for anyone interested in her life or Black History in general

[Terri Gulyas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent review of the career of an intelligent and determined woman at the cusp of the civil rights movement.

[Leslie Zemeckis]

I knew nothing about this extraordinary woman who Rosé to the top of her profession - Constance Mosley was the first Black woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court - and first Black woman elected to state senate - New York!

[Laura Hoffman Brauman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Constance Baker-Motley was a woman of firsts - the first Black woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court, the first Black woman elected to the state Senate in New York, the first woman elected Manhattan Borough President, and the first Black woman appointed to the federal judiciary. As one of the few Black attorneys on the legal team at the NAACP, she defended MLK Jr in Birmingham, helped with the Brown v Board of Education case, and was the lead counsel on several of the cases that desegregated universities in the Jim Crow south. With a resume like that, it seems like we would hear her name regularly in discussions about the heroes of the Civil Rights movement. She broke barriers and defied convention and paved the way for many that came after her. Brown-Nagin tells a balanced account of the life of this fascinating and accomplished woman - and in the telling of her life, also explores facets of the Civil Rights movement and the differences of opinion on strategy and approach to ending discrimination and advocating for equal rights. Highly recommend this read. I wish I saw more people talking about it - and more people talking about Baker-Motley.

[Abbie Pond · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating is reflective more of my preference for narrative non-fiction, and less reflective of the writing itself. This was extremely well structured and researched. I had only peripheral knowledge of Constance Baker Motley and therefore learned a lot about her as an individual as well as her experiences and influence on law and civil rights. What struck me most though were the parallels to the present, although the book didn't take time to comment on that. For example, CBM addressed the injustices against student protesters in her career, the same injustices occur throughout the course of history to the present. I would have liked for this concept to be explored more in discussion of her legacy.

[Evelyn Petschek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational! The biography of a brilliant lawyer, a patient yet persistent civil rights advocate. I was familiar with Constance Baker Motley’s work as a federal judge in Southern District of NY, where she was the first Black woman appointed to the federal bench. But I was unfamiliar with her childhood and the earlier years of her career and found it fascinating. An amazing woman and jurist. Good audio narration.

[Chrystopher’s Archive · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed for Library Journal.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life of Constance Baker Motley, a lawyer and civil rights activist. She’s an important person to know about.

[Mary Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strong woman, strong book. Glad I got to learn about her life and work.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent biography of a women I had never heard of before! As a woman, her name seems to have been lost among the heroes of desegregation.

[Allison Sesame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. A fascinating and complex figure who I did not really know anything about.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a pretty long audiobook but I’m so glad I took the time to listen. I was lucky enough to work with Constance Baker Motley as a court reporter for a few years before she died, and I even was the reporter on one of the cases that was touched on at the end of the book. I had no idea just how important she was and what a trailblazer.

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot about the Civil Rights Queen, Constance Baker Motley from this book. A great read!

[Elizabeth Maples · Rating 5 out of 5]

My words would fail to describe the value and importance of this book. I grew up in Birmingham, AL - because this book speaks to the truth - I had to set it down and absorb the social injustices of our country. Constance Baker Motley should be celebrated! Thank you for sharing her story.

[Daniel Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biographical piece is really well-done; it's almost a history more than a biography.
The context that Brown-Nagin provides in this book illuminates the realities of working within an antagonistic system during the upheaval of the mid-20th century in America. When I think about the era, I believe I know, but Brown-Nagin pulls the curtain back a bit more for me. She lays out the adversity and outright danger of trying to change the justice system from within.
Brown-Nagin doesn't shy away from calling a duck a duck, so to speak; that is, she deftly lays out the hardship that the Jim Crow era put Americans through and the ongoing hardship affecting black women in America.

[Sashenka Bender · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written biography of Constance Baker Motley and her legacy as a lawyer and federal judge. I was captivated by her tenacity and couldn’t wait to hear more about each case that she worked on and how beneficial her impact was on the Civil Rights Movement and other leaders. A great commentary on being a woman civil rights activist and the challenges in her career that she faced because she was a woman and working in the judicial system to make change but also how later on in her career it could be a limiting factor. Her story is endlessly interesting!

[Josia Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well-written, thorough, and gripping biography. I was familiar with Constance Baker Motley in a general sense, but knew very little of the details of her life and the nuances of her career. Part I - Beginnings takes us through CBM's early life, with fascinating insights into her Nevisian heritage and her family's outlook on life and education. We learn about how her political conscience developed, the sponsorship that allowed her to attend college, and the courtship with her future husband.

Part II - Becoming the Civil Rights Queen was one of my favorite sections, detailing how CBM was truly a trailblazer in a time of entrenched sexism. The anecdote of Thurgood Marshall reportedly asking her to climb a ladder so that he could "inspect her legs and feminine form" will stick with me. Resistance to women in leadership and sexist attitudes were deep-seated, from Marshall to MLK to the SNCC. I loved learning about the LDF's development of cases from Brown to attempts to desegregate at the Florida College of Law and University of Alabama. I felt ill at the intense scrutiny facing the plaintiffs of these high-profile cases, facing a double bind of experiencing discrimination and then extreme publicity associated with being the face of the suit. I appreciated that Brown-Nagin included analysis of the missteps of CBM and the LDF's litigation strategies alongside the successes.

In Part III - Life as a Symbol and Agent of Change, we get really into the meat of the desegregation strategy at the University of Georgia. Brown-Nagin does a wonderful job of intertwining the legal arguments with details of the people whose rights were being withheld; the full, brutal stories of racism and white resistance to integration are on display. This is ever evident in the chapters on the battle to desegregate Ole Miss, another favorite of mine.

Then, a pivot away from civil rights lawyering in Part IV - A Season in Politics. This section was the least interesting to me; perhaps because her time in politics did just seem like a waiting room as her time on the bench neared. Still, it was interesting to read about her journey to be the first Black woman to hold a seat in the NY State Senate, her connection with Shirley Chisholm, and her statements regarding the Harlem Riot of 1964 (On my mind from recently reading Harlem Shuffle). The chapter on her Manhattan Borough Presidency really brought out a running theme throughout CBM's story: the difficult, delicate balance of career and family. She was transparent that she couldn't do it without help, though I think her views on women's liberation complicated how she discussed the topics. I found it fascinating how her views grew more aligned with being a moderate as she grew closer to being a judge - summed up in the line that she was "[s]keptical of feminism and opposed to radical racial politics."

The last section was the most repetitive of things I already knew about CBM, while still providing plenty of new information - particularly around how she ran her chambers and continued to face sexism and racism even as a federal judge. In Part V - On the Bench, we go down the difficult path of her confirmation, a battle in its own right, and hear about how she adopted a steely persona, giving off a stern and commanding presence in a time when many people were extremely hesitant to judges being anyone but white men. Her approach to her cases and the complexities of transitioning from advocate to neutral arbiter were interesting to read about.

The Epilogue nicely tied up her legacy. I wish the book had contained perhaps a bit more critical analysis of CBM's judicial career and the struggles of balancing home/work in her life, but overall a brilliant biography.

[Mary Anne]

4.5 STARS

How this book ended up on my TBR: Judith Heumann. When New York's Department of Education denied Heumann a teaching license due to her disability, she sued the Department of Education. The case ended up in Motley's court. By Heumann's own recounting, Motley looked at the Department of Education and suggested that they take a different route, and Heumann successfully earned her teaching license and taught for a short time before transitioning into a disability rights activist. That's the first time I think I heard Motley's name, and when I saw this book mentioned somewhere (perhaps NYT), I put it on my Kobo wishlist. I can't remember the circumstances of how her name came up again recently, but I found it at the library and here we are.

Prior to reading this book, I knew close to nothing about Constance Baker Motley. And that's truly a shame, given her record as a civil rights attorney back when that was unrecognized as an area of the law. As a result, I learned a ton in this book about her upbringing, her schooling, and her long and accomplished career with the law. Did I know that she was involved in writing the legal arguments of Brown v. Board of Education? I did not.

While I didn't always love Brown-Nagin's writing style, I did appreciate the historical context that she provides throughout the book. I also found Brown-Nagin to provide a more nuanced reflection of history and characterization of important figures like Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Kennedy brothers, and Lyndon B. Johnson. Far from providing judgment, she gave them when appropriate more credit than they were due while also acknowledging their shortcomings. She does this as well with Motley herself. Motley is still the pillar of this book, but she wasn't a perfect person. At the end of the day, Brown-Nagin seemed to acknowledge that there is only so much a strong personality can do in a pre-existing power structure. While that power structure often held Motley back due to racism and sexism, she also progressed through no lack of hard work nor lack of supporters. And I genuinely appreciated that perspective.

I am flummoxed that we don't hear more about Judge Constance Baker Motley and her role as a civil rights attorney and her role as the first black female federal judge, but I can't say I'm entirely surprised. Reading books that cover the civil rights period always makes me wonder what I would have been like had I lived during that time. As we enter into a period of time where so many are fearful and anxious about the future, it's useful to remember that there are figures like Motley who are doing the best they can with what they have in the hope that we will indeed achieve a more perfect union.

--

PS. If you all ever go to The StoryGraph, let's be friends there! Here's my profile.

[Bruin Mccon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Civil Rights Queen is the Constance Baker Motley bio you didn’t know you need to read. Motley argued the case that desegregated “Ole Miss” and was the first Black woman judge in the federal judiciary.

One piece of Motley’s story that floored me was her hours-long commute with Medgar Evers during the James Meredith fight with the University of Mississippi. They were close and when he was assassinated, Motley was distraught, unable to get out of bed for several days. This window into her private anguish touched me just as much as her great triumphs, maybe more.

The details on the James Meredith case, where he would eventually become the first Black person to attend Ole Miss, were so frightening (and I have the benefit of knowing he made it out alive). What this man, a former soldier with a “weak stomach,” endured was discussed at length in the book. I did not know Motley had to basically talk him into saying. I did not know he had enough credits from another college that he only had to attend Miss for two semesters and then could be done. Motley did more than just argue the case. She had to endure so much trauma that she vowed never to return to the state again.

The Birmingham children’s crusade legal battle, and Motley’s role, was new to me as well. I knew about Bull Connor and jailing kids, turning fire hoses on them, and keeping kids at the fairgrounds. Letter from a Birmingham Jail. MLK’s refusal to be bailed out while the kids were still incarcerated. This book goes into enough detail to make a person who doesn’t already know it all start yelling and screaming. Letting dogs attack kids. Trying to get the kids involved expelled. This is what we excuse when we pretend our country has moved on.

Finally, Motley’s legacy is the epilogue and its mixed. She did a lot of good but it seems as if her civil rights legal background caused her to be more cautious. Probably didn’t want things overturned on appeal. She knew the law better than anyone. I think in the end, she chose to create precedent where she thought she could rather than burning down the whole system but in the process guaranteeing it didn’t stick. I know her early victories set the stage for so much. I wonder how she felt about what she was able to do at the end of the day.

[Andy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Constance Motley should be better known. As a Black woman lawyer she repeatedly went south in the 1950s and early 1960s to argue civil rights cases. She faced hostile Judges who wanted to preserve segregation and second class citizenship for Blacks as a Southern way of life and legal precedents that she needed to overturn. She did it in cities where she faced hatred, personal danger, that offered few places where she could stay or eat. But her legal skills, personal courage and determination allowed her to prevail and our country is better because of that.
Hopefully this thoroughly researched and well written biography will help correct that. It details the different court cases including numerous appeals to overturn decisions by Southern trial judges who simply refused to follow the law as well as overcoming bureaucratic stalling. The biography's description of Motley's representation of James Meredith to allow him to enroll at the University of Mississippi exemplifies why this is such a great book, the legal analysis is sound and thorough while the narrative reads with the suspense of a novel.
The biography includes the personal including her marriage which was a true partnership which supported her work and the challenges of being a mother while being a litigator often called out of town and how she met both challenges. It also includes appearances by the famous; Thurgood Marshall who trusted her completely but did not pick her as his successor of the NAACP defense fund, Martin Luther King Jr who, aware of his philandering reputation and Motley's attractiveness, made sure doors were open when he met with Motley out of respect for her reputation and how Motley became somewhat of a pawn between Lyndon Johnson and Bobby Kennedy's fights when she was appointed Federal Judge.
This simply is an outstanding book about an amazing woman

[Nanette Fandino-Diaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Constance Baker Motley argued ten cases in front of the Supreme Court. She defended Martin Luther King in Birmingham. She helped to argue Brown vs. The Board of Education. She was the first black woman elected to the state Senate in New York, the first woman elected Manhattan Borough President, and the first black woman appointed to the federal judiciary.

This book starts out very slowly. There is a huge emphasis in the first part of the book at making the reader understand that Motley grew up in a primarily white community, went to white schools, and her education was privileged. In the second part of the book, the author focuses on Motley's work as a lawyer fighting civil rights under the direction of Thurgood Marshall. This part of the book provides an interesting perspective on the men's characters and the misogyny of the times. The third part of the book focuses on Motley's work on the Federal bench.

I really enjoy reading books about this time period that take you through the events, the cases, and the effects on the Civil Rights Movement. Constance Baker Motley had a long career and her work as a lawyer as well as her decisions on the bench had a positive impact on the Civil Rights of all people. The first third of the book dragged but the rest of the book was wonderful.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was all in all reslly great biographical history. I was at first concerned Brown-Nagin would lean too strongly into the "great man/great woman" type of narrative, but the frequent explorations of contextual material ensured that Judge Motley was not presented as a success in isolation.

I do wish, though, that the arguments of the conclusion were more strongly incorporated into the book as a whole: that Judge Motley represented the "abstract ideals" of "equal opportunity and the rule of law," and that "the power structure does not fundamentally transform; at best, it accommodates difference." Maybe I didn't see them at first because I was reading this for fun, not for school, but to have this spot-on analysis relegated to the conclusion was a bit disappointing. The book's frequent representation of Motley as a groundbreaker, leader, trailblazer, etc. as an attorney also contradicts this concluding argument--- did Motley and her NAACP colleagues transform the system or not?

Again disclaimer, while I have a history degree and practice careful academic reading often this was a fun summer read so I was not reading as closely as I would for class. Overall the biography was great and a great source of motivation while studying for the LSAT!

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not sure if the author picked to write about Constance Baker Motley when Joe Biden announced his first Supreme Court nominee would be a black women, but that nominee could easily have been Motley if she had been born 50 years later. Indeed she was on a shortlist for both Nixon and Ford.

Totally unknown to me before reading the book, I was amazed at the depth and breadth of her background. The author, Tomika Brown-Nagin does a wonderful job of bringing her multifaceted career to life. She was a civil rights attorney, drafting the brief in Brown v. The Board of Education. Elected to two public offices in New York and appointed to the prestigious U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Originally from Nevis, her father was a chef at Yale as she was raised in Connecticut. She was relegated to lesser roles at the male dominated legal arm of the NAACP, but forged ahead in spite of that. On the court she was not an activist judge, but had some important cases regarding prisoners’ rights during the Attica uprising. A great story about a great American.

[Jeffrey Pedro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book examines the life of Constance Baker Motley and her contributions to the civil rights movement. Her participation in several high profile cases paved the way for marginalized people to fight discrimination and obtain equality. There were so many fascinating pieces and figures in history whom Motley crossed paths with, making this hard to put down. MLK, Thurgood Marshall, Malcom X, and even Ruth Bader Ginsburg are all interwoven through this narrative as either being influenced by or influencing Motley directly. It was interesting to see the contrast between Motley’s effective use of the law to make small changes to an unjust system and those carried out by radical voices of the time. The obstacles she had to overcome as a Black woman were astounding, even among those of her community. Motley is one of the most important and influential civil rights figures of our time! Excellent read!

[Anjie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am stunned that I did not know Constance Baker Motley’s life story. As a lawyer, politician, judge—essentially a civil rights queen-- she has made so much of my personal and professional life possible. Hired by Thurgood Marshall during a time when women law school grads were often sidelined. Part of the Brown vs. Board of Education legal team. Fought for Martin Luther King Jr.’s right to march in Birmingham. Appointed to federal court by LBJ becoming the first black female judge at that level. A mentor and inspiration to dozens of black and women lawyers and judges (including RBG & Sonia Sotomayor). An advocate for women in various professions. A genuinely impressive and brave woman who was ahead of her time, a true trailblazer, in so many ways. Tomiko Brown-Nagin wrote an absorbing biography (that works well as an audiobook)… she not only captured the essence of Judge Motley, she also shed some light on what it meant to be a woman in the biggest civil rights organizations of the 40s, 50s, and 60s… it was much harder than I expected. I started “Civil Rights Queen” during #BlackHistoryMonth and finished it in #WomensHistoryMonth… seems fitting.