But not only did I achieve everything I set out to do, I achieved more. To let our best selves guide us through these difficult times. Tel. People underestimate the power of Black women to support each other, to have each other's back, to work together, to not compete with one another, but rather to join forces, to amplify their powers and abilities, says Nelson. And our Gwen-she of the shining eyes, and killer cheekbones and megawatt smile-she was the rich and unblemished fruit of that journey. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. To that end, Ifill urges everyone to resist the urge to avoid equity work because theyre afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing and instead lean in full force. Thats what I feel Sherrilyn and I have done naturally over the years, and that gets overlooked. That parties at her home could easily become Broadway sing-alongs. I always told Gwen that although I was raised in New York, she was raised in America. Emails get reread. 2023 Cond Nast. Sherrilyn Ifill 87 and Marta Cartabia to address graduates at 2023 Convocation. She has a staggering capacity to connect the dots, complete the puzzle, and reveal what links the past to our present struggles for justice. She was the second woman ever to do so, the first being Elaine Jones. Her sense of justice does not waver; it is her inheritance. ifill gwen newshour Ad Choices. WebSherrilyn Ifill served as the seventh President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) from 2013 to 2022, and currently serves as President and Director-Counsel Emeritus. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. At this particular moment in our country, Gwen Ifill represented the most American of success stories. Breonna Taylor. Shes the leader, and there are things that cant be offloaded to anyone else. If selected by President Joe Biden and approved by the Senate to fill Breyers seat, Ifill would become the third Black justice and sixth woman in Supreme Court history, but would be the first Black woman in the courts history. Its undersung, not reported or uplifted. Ifill married Ivo Knobloch in 1988, and they have three daughters together. Her brief testimony concluded with one powerfully revealing question, Is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, where we have to sleep with our telephones off the hooks because our lives be threatened daily because we want to live as decent human beings in America?, Fueled by that same visceral desire for the realization of the fundamental American ideals of freedom and equality, Ifill challenges us to revisit what democracy is supposed to look like. Since the LDFs inception, major strides in civil rights have taken place, but Ifill is restless and knows that theres much more to be accomplished. Meet AAVC's New Executive Director Lisa Tessler, Exploring Transfer: Encouraging Four-Year Degrees for 30 Years, Vassar Basketball Coach Leads Team to Silver in Maccabi Games, Angela Davis Speaks on Anniversary of Women's Studies, Meet Safety and Security Director Arlene Sabo, Glass Artist Dale Chihuly Presents a New View of Ulysses, Shaping the Civil Rights Discourse: Sherrilyn Ifill '84. It takes an entire ecosystem to make transformational change, Ifill says, explaining to me the role of the NAACP LDF in the current movement for Black lives. Speaking with her, her rare blend of confidence, strength, poise and selflessness is palpable. At Vassar, she majored in English, which she noted was valued, not slighted, as it might have been at a college that specialized in producing accountants or business majors. the seventh person and the second woman to lead the storied civil rights legal organization, which Thurgood Marshall founded in 1940. first African American U.S. Supreme Court justice. People count on us for a sober voice of reason and information, she asserts. If Youre Risk Averse, What Could You Be Missing? Nelson: The other thing we have to be careful about is to not fall for the portrayal of radical minority interests and the outsized spotlight they receive. We have both worked hard to make sure we have a deep bench beyond the two of us to continue to buoy the institution as we march forward. We see that with the proliferation of anti-truth bills, anti-voter bills, and anti-protest bills. Now it's our turn. In 1959, Prince Edward County, Virginia, chose to close its public schools for five years rather than comply with the courts ruling that they must integrate, she says. To take the example she set and to do what she did. She showed us how to have high standards, but not take ourselves so seriously. We will need the example of Gwen in the coming days. More people believe in a positive vision for this country and its future than those peddled by minority interests. Many of us have learned to turn it off. We are in a profound crisis of democracy born of this countrys refusal, failure, and inability to grapple with racism and white supremacy, she says. Sherrilyn Ifill reflects on the legacy of her cousin, political journalist Gwen Ifill, who died on November 14 following a groundbreaking career that included stints at The Washington Post, The New York Times, NBC, and PBS. Sherrilyn Ifill was born on December 17, 1962, in Baltimore, Maryland to Lester and Myrtle. She is the youngest of 10 children. Her mother passed away when Ifill was 6 years old. She graduated from Hillcrest High School. Ifill has a B.A. from Vassar College and a J.D. from New York University School of Law. (212) 998-6100, Sherrilyn Ifill 87 and Marta Cartabia to address graduates at 2023 Convocation. You have a fire in you that desires a vehicle for the change you want to see. I didnt think I was particularly beautiful. For those unfamiliar with the field of civil rights law, being a young voting rights lawyer supervised by Lani Guinier and Pamela Karlan is like being an NBA rookie starting with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. We either strengthen the structures that ensure we are committed to the ideals in our Constitution, or we can descend into anarchy and authoritarianismthose are the choices before us. She wouldnt write someone off just for a single spelling error. Then she laughs and amends herself: But I wouldnt make a practice of sending error-laden messages.. Personal life Ifill married Ivo Knobloch in 1988, and they have three daughters together. Sherrilyn Ifill is a renowned layer in the United States of America. The couple has successfully kept the identity of the children from the public. During this time when I was utterly disoriented, my favorites came together., She closed her speech with an appeal, advising graduates not only to do their civic duty but also to do the work of community: I call on you to passionately nurture, tend, and cherish your favoritesthe ones who, when calamity happens, will find you and surround you with their love and lead you out of the fog., For so many Americans, 2020 has felt like a disorienting fog, but Ifill asks us to see this moment as a way out of the wreckage of white supremacy. Igor Vysotsky cause of death: How did Igor Vysotsky die? We can always count on Sherrilyn and the Legal Defense Fund to raise issues impacting Black communities, even in times and with people who want to be nonspecific, says Color of Changes Robinson. And so when we piled in our car to spend Thanksgiving with Gwen and her family, we went wherever they had been sent. One year, Gwen's family would trek to my family's home in Queens, where we would all somehow manage-me and my nine siblings and she and her five, plus our parents-to enjoy the holiday in a home with lots of food and one bathroom. After graduating from NYU Law, she worked for the American Civil Liberties Union and served as assistant counsel at the Legal Defense Fund. Even though there is more work to be done and we are in such a difficult time, everybody has their moment. To be able to hold those two ideas at the same time is required. This warmth, this genuine engagement became the hallmark of her career later, and she brought it into American homes each night, so that everyone thought they knew her. he attacked the judge, the judge's wife, and the judge's daughter. She also authored an essay in The New York Times in February 2021, arguing that lawyers enabled President Trump in an assault on American democracy.. These moments left an indelible impression on Ifill and helped bolster her conviction that legal issues matter and play a role in improving everyones life. Gwen was the exemplar of these teachings. That we could count on her to get down to James Brown at parties at our homes. Lets talk about the political climate this transition is happening in: Voting rights are in jeopardy. Indeed, Ifill seems laser focused on that broader goal that benefits every Americannot telling America what to be or forcing it to change its values but instead challenging and requiring it to live up to what it says it is. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, There were three newspapers every day. I have seven sisters. Many dont realize that in July 2019 LDF joined other human rights organizations in an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to recognize that workplace anti-discrimination protections in Title VII apply to LGBTQ individuals, and in fact the June 2020 Supreme Court ruling that did just that relied in part on the historic 1971 LDF case, Phillips v. Martin Marietta, which ruled that an employer may not, in the absence of business necessity, refuse to hire women with pre-school-age children while hiring men with such children. Indeed, the breadth of her lifes work seems a testament to MLKs famous admonition, Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Ifill married Ivo Knobloch in 1988, and they have three daughters together. Earlier you talked about being excited about your next chapter. Cuomo to target bars frequented by college students, Tech honcho and Cash App founder, 43, stabbed to death in San Fran: reports, Phil Mickelson didnt say a word at Masters Champions Dinner, Costco cake decorator's epic fail leaves customers in stitches, New NY rent-control bill would drive out small landlords, help developers, How a retired detective snared his seventh 'Torso Killer' confession, Ashley Graham praised for inspiring bikini pics: Shes so real for this, Lea DeLaria reveals she secretly married girlfriend Dalia Gladstone, Jeremy Renner says he wrote his last words to his family while in the hospital, How 'Gorilla Glue Girl' Tessica Brown made $400K from her sticky situation, Brooke Shields: Tom Cruise stopped sending me Christmas cake, cut Suri from card. Olin is charged with murder and weapons possession charges, police said. >> Related: Justice Stephen Breyer retiring; Biden vows to nominate Black woman to Supreme Court. Sherrilyn Ifill was returning to Baltimore from Washington on Amtrak train 80 Friday, as she often does, when she says a junior conductor approached and asked her to give up her seat. Sherrilyn Ifill (@SIfill_) April 4, 2023. The Section awarded Ifill the 2022 Thurgood Marshall Award to celebrate her long-term contributions the advancement of civil rights in the United States. They are institutions in the literal sense of the word. Just one week before delivering the commencement address, Ifill had been a passenger on an Amtrak train that crashed in Philadelphia. She is the former director of the childrens choir at her church, The Washington Post Law enforcement, Justice Department officials, and justice advocates (Sherrilyn Ifill) recently testified before a Senate judiciary subcommittee on the federal government's role in local policing practices and their impact on the ground. Nelson: The vision is to defend against the attacks that we are experiencing and simultaneously help build and promote a successful multiracial, multiethnic democracy in which Black people have agency in their futures where they can thrive. She is the seventh person and the second woman to lead the storied civil rights legal organization, which Thurgood Marshall founded in 1940. Under Janais leadership, with refreshed vision and boldness, therell be more difficult moments ahead. We simply cant survive as a healthy democracy unless we confront this and figure out how to turn a corner so thats what Im going to be writing about., Ifill insists that what is needed to address a centuries-long legacy of racial apartheid in a meaningful, inclusive and sustained way is nothing less than a refounding of our democracy. That people would want to know how we saw a particular situation. Ifill, an NYU Law trustee, served as LDFs president and director-counsel from 2013 to 2022, providing a strong voice and leadership in support of racial justice and equity. Sometimes that means showing up as a guest on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert or as a talking head on Trevor Noahs The Daily Show to explain why a rallying cry like defund the police isnt a cause for alarm. Sherrilyn Ifill is one of the most brilliant and passionate civil rights leaders of our time. These interests are so powerful that theyre able to portray themselves as something far more expansive and extensive than they are. From Silicon Valley CEOs to U.S. senators to Selma pastorsserious changemakers want Ifill on their side of the table. She was born on December 17, 1962, in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Her 2008 book, On the Courthouse Lawn: Confronting the Legacy of Lynching in the 21st Century, laid the foundation for contemporary conversations about lynching and reconciliation. She was the shining star in our family. That we would be able to use our voice to curate the truth about racial discrimination and injustice for the American public. WebShaping the Civil Rights Discourse: Sherrilyn Ifill '84. Attending NYU Law School was a perfect fit for Ifill. That means we have insights into this country that many dont, and our ability to bring that to the table is our secret sauce. Sometimes that means working alongside celebrities like John Legend or politicians like Senator Cory Booker to raise awareness. That she loved Scrabble. Janai Nelson: Ive been involved with this organization for the better part of my legal career. The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in state in the U.S. Capitol in September 2020. That was a key part of it, and we have certainly achieved that. Glamour: Lets jump right in and talk about what this moment signifies for both of you. But were proud not just at the level of her success, but because of the foundation of it. 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