Bolin, Jane Matilda

Impact on the world

Became the first Black woman judge in U.S. history, presiding over New York City's Domestic Relations Court for nearly four decades and using her position to confront racism and structural inequality facing Black youth in the justice system.

Life & background

Bolin became the first Black woman to serve as a judge in the United States in 1939, presiding over New York City's Domestic Relations Court (later renamed Family Court) until 1978. Throughout her nearly 40-year tenure, she was known for administering justice that recognized the racism and structural inequalities Black youth faced in the legal system, pushing for fairer treatment from her white colleagues.

Sources

1. TIME (The History Behind the First Black Woman Supreme Court Justice Nominee); Historical Society of the New York Courts (Hon. Jane M. Bolin: Judging Across Decades); NYPL Schomburg Center (Jane Matilda Bolin papers)