Museum To Unveil Exhibit Highlighting Jackson Mitchell, Baltimore Woman Who Became First Black Attorney In Maryland
click to expand
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Maryland Center for History and Culture plans to unveil a new exhibition that will feature civil rights activists, including the late Juanita Jackson Mitchell.
Jackson Mitchell was the first black practicing attorney in the state of Maryland.
Through her law degree, Jackson Mitchell fought back against injustices including segregation, police brutality and the treatment of prisoners.
"She talked about growing up in a segregated Baltimore City and just seeing the injustices and seeing the disparities and the 'white only', 'colored only' and she knew it wasn't right and she knew that she wanted to join that fight," said granddaughter Jennifer Mitchell.
And fight Jackson Mitchell did. She filed several lawsuits that aimed to end segregation. Most notably, the attorney helped pave the way for Baltimore to become the first southern city to see its schools desegregated.
"My father shared with me an audio recording and I wanted to share with you a direct quote. 'I use the law as a tool to crank up this democracy and help to steer it in the direction of implementing its great constitutional freedom that all men are to be created equal,'" read Mitchell.
The new exhibition coming to the museum is called Passion and Purpose: Voices of Maryland Civil Rights Activists. The display will feature A mosaic of stories from the civil rights movement between the 1930s through today told through first-hand accounts.
Jackson Mitchell will be among the voices using an interview conducted in the late 1970s where she reflects on years past.
"It was really, totally segregated communities in a balance to economic opportunities were formidable," described Jackson Mitchell.
Allison Tolman with the center will craft the new display.
"To hear people talk about this is what it was like, this is why it happened, this is what it felt like, this is what I feared, this is what I was strong about," said Tolman.
Jackson Mitchell was the daughter of legendary NAACP leader, Lillie Carroll Jackson. A family who dedicated their lives to fighting injustices then and now.
"It's important for me to continue the legacy. I feel that I carry her spirit. I work in nursing, nurse education more specifically and so through my work, I like to inspire, to lead, to advocate, to fight for injustice," said Mitchell.
The new exhibition will open May 20th.
Read more