An Analysis of Constance B. Motley being sworn into office as a Primary source

H5P Project by Raven Harris

Top image “Mrs. Constance B. Motley being sworn in by Mayor Wagner” Photo by Phyllis Twachtman under New York World-Telegram & Sun, NYWTS – BIOG–Motley, Constance B.–Lawyer [item] [P&P], New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection (Library of Congress)

Bottom Left Image “Mrs. Constance B. Motley standing in between husband Joel, Jr. and son Joel Motley III” Photo by, Phyllis Twatchman under New York World-Telegram & Sun, NYWTS – BIOG–Motley, Constance B.–Lawyer [item] [P&P], New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collections (Library of Congress)

Bottom Right Image “Mrs. Constance B. Motley being sworn in by Mayor Robert Wagner” Photo by, Phyllis Twatchman under New York World-Telegram & Sun, NYWTS – BIOG–Motley, Constance B.–Lawyer [item] [P&P], New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collections (Library of Congress)

Sourcing

What

These photos are of Mrs. Constance Baker Motley with her son and husband on the day she was sworn into office as the President of the Manhattan borough, also seen as Borough President of Manhattan, by Mayor Robert Wagner.

When

This happened on February 25, 1965

Where

In the city hall of Manhattan (see map below)

Who (The Creator)

The photo was taken by Phyllis Twachtman and was published in the World-Telegram & Sun. The image can be found in the Library of Congress under the New York World-Telegram & Sun Newspaper Photograph collection.

Contextualization

The hotspots on this particular image will help contextualize the series of images and provide the historical context.

“Mrs. Constance B. Motley being sworn in by Mayor Robert Wagner” Photo by, Phyllis Twatchman under New York World-Telegram & Sun, NYWTS – BIOG–Motley, Constance B.–Lawyer [item] [P&P], New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collections (Library of Congress)

Corroboration

Little is known about Constance B. Motley. More often than not she gets glossed over in discussions about the Civil Rights Movement, in favor of talking about the men of the movement she worked alongside such as Thurgood Marshall and Martin Luther King Jr. She was instrumental in several Supreme Court Cases including the case Meredith v. Fair. 

Additional Sources

The sources below will provide you with more information about Constance B. Motley, her work, her legacy, and her influence today. The list is long but, it should be for a woman like her.

“Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality.” Wilson Center. The Wilson Center, February 14, 2022. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/civil-rights-queen-constance-baker-motley-and-struggle-equality.

“Constance Baker Motley – Connecticut History: A CTHumanites Project.” Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project – Stories about the people, traditions, innovations, and events that makeup Connecticut’s rich history. Connecticut History, December 17, 2020. https://connecticuthistory.org/people/constance-baker-motley/.

“Constance Baker Motley: Judiciary’s Unsung Rights Hero.” United States Courts, February 20, 2020. https://www.uscourts.gov/news/2020/02/20/constance-baker-motley-judiciarys-unsung-rights-hero.

Ellis, Nicole, Saher Khan, and Tyriana Evans. “’Civil Rights Queen’ Examines the Legacy of Constance Baker Motley.” PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, February 17, 2022. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/civil-rights-queen-examines-the-legacy-of-constance-baker-motley.

Harris-Perry, Melissa, and Dorian Warren. “The Life and Legacy of Constance Baker Motley.” WNYC Studios. The Takeaway, April 8, 2022. https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/life-and-legacy-constance-baker-motley.

Holley, Joe. “Constance Motley Dies; Rights Lawyer, Judge.” The Washington Post. WP Company, September 29, 2005. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/28/AR2005092802525.html.

“The Life and Legacy of Constance Baker Motley.” Legal Defense Fund. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Legal Defense Fund, May 18, 2022. https://www.naacpldf.org/naacp-publications/ldf-blog/cbm-100/.

“Motley, Constance Baker.” National Women’s Hall of Fame, 2022. https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/constance-baker-motley/.

Williams, Ann Claire. “She Lifted Her Voice: Constance Baker Motley (1921–2005) U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York.” Judicature, July 19, 2022. https://judicature.duke.edu/articles/she-lifted-her-voice-constance-baker-motley-1921-2005-u-s-district-court-southern-district-of-new-york/.