Judges and Judiciary,
Civil Rights
Mar. 6, 2007
Pioneer Spirit
Three African-American women -- a lawyer, a state judge and a federal judge -- shoud be honored for achieving milestones in California law practice.
Brenda Harbin-Forte
Judge (Ret.), Alameda County Superior Court
Judge Harbin-Forte is a past chair of the Judicial Council of the California Association of Black Lawyers, and a past president of the Alameda County Bar Association.
As we close our celebration of Black History Month, we should pause to remember three pioneers of California's legal tradition: the state's first African-American woman lawyer and judge, and California's first African-American woman federal judge. Each of these women exemplifies a high degree of courage and accomplishment from which we can learn.
Annie Virginia Stephens Coker was born in Oakland in 1903, the daughter of a chef. She attended Oakland public schools until her family...
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