Shirley Jefferson

Last updated

Shirley A. Jefferson
Born1953 (age 70–71)
EducationVermont Law School
Occupation(s)Associate dean and faculty member
Employer Vermont Law and Graduate School

Shirley A. Jefferson (born 1953) [1] is an American law school administrator and faculty member. She serves as vice president of community engagement and government relations and associate law professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School. [2] A native of Selma, Alabama, who marched to Montgomery as a child, Jefferson is a frequent public speaker on race-related issues, [3] [4] and has pushed for the removal a controversial mural depicting slavery from the Vermont Law School student center since 2020. [1]

Contents

In 2019, the National Black Pre-Law Conference for Legal Education Access recognized Jefferson with its Legal Education Access and Diversity Champion Award. [5] In 2022, the Vermont Law School Alumni Association named the Dean Shirley Jefferson Distinguished Service Award after her. [6]

Early life and education

The daughter of a truck driver in Selma, Alabama, Shirley Jefferson was one of nine children, and grew up attending segregated public schools. [7] [8] In March 1965, at the age of 12, she joined the third march from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights, along with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Congressman John Lewis. [8] Her mother died when she was 15 years old. [9] When she was 17, she integrated her high school. [10]

After finishing high school, Jefferson moved to Baltimore and worked at McDonald's, and was promoted to manager. [9] She then worked at a supermarket, first as a cashier and then in an office role. [9] Eventually deciding to become a lawyer, she enrolled in Southeastern University in Washington, D.C., while continuing to work for the supermarket. [9]

Jefferson received a Bachelor of Science from Southeastern University in 1981, [11] [2] graduating summa cum laude and finishing second in her class. [12] She then accepted an offer to attend Vermont Law School in South Royalton, Vermont, which had begun actively recruiting minority applicants. [11] Only the second African American woman to attend VLS, [7] she struggled initially because her education during segregation had left her poorly prepared for law school. [7] One of her professors, Gil Jukovich, intervened and became a mentor to her. [7]

Jefferson earned her Juris Doctor degree in 1986. [13] [11] While a law student, she interned at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in New York. [14] She also worked with the VLS South Royalton Legal Clinic, and assisted with the case of Bela Kendall, who initiated a lawsuit against the federal government for terminating her worker's compensation payments without enough notice to respond; the case eventually turned into a class action lawsuit. [15]

Career

After law school, Jefferson returned to Washington, D.C., and worked as legislative assistant to Councilwoman Wilhelmina J. Rolark. [11] She went on to join Rolark's law firm as an associate. [11] Jefferson then served as general counsel for the United Black Fund, [16] and helped to organize activities in 30 communities. [11]

In 1999, Jefferson returned to Vermont to become alumni relations for Vermont Law School. [16] In 2001, she was named interim assistant dean for student affairs, also chairing the law school's diversity committee. [11] She currently serves as associate dean and on the faculty as an associate professor, teaching Race and the Law. [5] [2] As associate dean, she has advised the Student Bar Association and 60 other organizations. [17] As of 2019, the entering class at VLS was 53 percent female, was 31 percent people of color. [5]

In 2021, Jefferson was appointed to the board of trustees of the Vermont State Colleges System. [10] In 2022, she was appointed vice president for community engagement and government affairs at Vermont Law and Graduate School. [18]

Mural controversy

After George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minnesota in 2020, Jefferson decided to push for the removal of a mural depicting slavery in the Vermont Law School student center. [1] Painted from 1993 to 1994 by Quebec artist Sam Kerson, the mural includes scenes of a slave market, and a white slaveowner wielding a whip over a group of black men. [1] [19] Since joining the law school staff in 1999, Jefferson had periodically received complaints from students expressing their discomfort with the mural, but typically told them to focus on their education rather than being distracted by the artwork. [19] [1] In 2013 and 2014, the VLS Diversity Committee discussed the objections to the mural, and installed plaques to explain its original intent to condemn slavery. [19] [1]

In May 2020, students circulated a petition calling for the removal of the mural, due to the way in which the African American figures were depicted, with exaggerated features which were "degrading" and resembled "caricatures designed to perpetuate the white superiority views that have been embedded on our entire societal structure". [19] Jefferson contacted the dean and received support for the mural's removal, resulting in a lengthy legal fight with the artist, who has sued to stop Vermont Law School from covering the mural permanently. [1]

Personal life

During her third year of college, Jefferson became a single mother and started raising a son. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn College</span> Public university in New York City, New York, U.S.

Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn in New York City, United States. It is part of the City University of New York system and as of 2019 enrolls over 17,000 undergraduate and over 2,800 graduate students on a 35-acre campus in the Flatbush and Midwood sections of Brooklyn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of New Hampshire</span> Public university in Durham, New Hampshire, US

The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Durham, New Hampshire. It was founded and incorporated in 1866 as a land grant college in Hanover and moved to Durham in 1893, and adopted its current name in 1923.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castleton University</span> University in Castleton, Vermont, US

Castleton University was a public university in Castleton, Vermont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vermont Law and Graduate School</span> American private graduate school

Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) is a private law and public policy graduate school in South Royalton, Vermont, and is the only ABA-accredited law school in the state. It offers several degrees, including Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Laws (LLM) in Environmental Law, Master of Environmental Law and Policy (MELP), Master of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy (MFALP), Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL), and dual degrees with a diverse range of institutions. According to the school's 2018 ABA-required disclosures, 61.5% of the Class of 2018 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanderbilt University Law School</span> Graduate school in Nashville, Tennessee, US

Vanderbilt University Law School is the law school of Vanderbilt University. Established in 1874, it is one of the oldest law schools in the southern United States. Vanderbilt Law enrolls approximately 640 students, with each entering Juris Doctor class consisting of approximately 175 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter T. Washburn</span> American lawyer, politician & soldier

Peter Thacher Washburn was a Vermont lawyer, politician and soldier. A veteran of the American Civil War, he served as the 31st governor of Vermont as a Republican from 1869 to 1870, and was the first Vermont Governor to die in office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paula Jean Welden</span> Missing American college student

Paula Jean Welden was an American college student who disappeared while walking on Vermont's Long Trail hiking route. Local sheriffs were criticized for errors made in the investigation, which led to the creation of the Vermont State Police. Welden's fate remains unsolved, and was one of several unexplained disappearances in the same area at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thetford Academy, Vermont</span> School in Vermont, United States

Thetford Academy is a coeducational independent school in Thetford, Vermont. Located at 304 Academy Road in Thetford Center, Vermont, it is the state's oldest secondary school. Thetford Academy celebrated its bicentennial year in 2018–2019. It is a tax-exempt non-profit institution under section 501(c)(3).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beth Robinson</span> American judge (born 1965)

Beth Robinson is an American lawyer and judge from Vermont. She is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and is the first openly lesbian judge to serve on any federal court of appeals. Robinson served as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 2011 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the University of Virginia</span>

The history of the University of Virginia opens with its conception by Thomas Jefferson at the beginning of the early 19th century. The university was chartered in 1819, and classes commenced in 1825.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Copeland Hanzas</span> American politician

Sarah L. Copeland Hanzas is an American Democratic Party politician who is currently serving as the Secretary of State of Vermont. She previously served in the Vermont House of Representatives from Orange County's 2nd District, having been first elected in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Becca Balint</span> American politician (born 1968)

Rebecca A. Balint is an American politician who is a member of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont's at-large congressional district as a member of the Democratic Party. She served as a member of the Vermont Senate from Windham County from 2015 to 2023, as majority leader from 2017 to 2021, and as president pro tempore from 2021 to 2023.

Shirley M. Collado is an American psychology professor and academic administrator. She was the 9th president of Ithaca College. Collado was the second woman to hold the post and the first person of color. She is the first Dominican American to be named president of a four-year college in the United States. Prior to joining Ithaca, Collado was assistant professor of psychology, dean of the college and vice-president for student affairs at Middlebury College, then vice president for institutional planning and community engagement at Lafayette College. After returning to Middlebury College to serve as dean of the college, she became executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer at Rutgers University-Newark. She earned her doctorate at Duke University in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne Watson</span> American teacher and politician

Anne E. Watson is an American educator and politician who has served as a Democratic / Progressive member of the Vermont Senate since January 2023. She served as Mayor of Montpelier, Vermont, from March 2018 to March 2023. Watson is a physics teacher at Montpelier High School. She served on the Montpelier city council for several years before running unopposed for mayor in late 2017.

Fedwa Malti-Douglas is a Lebanese-American professor and writer. She is a professor emeritus at Indiana University Bloomington. Malti-Douglas has written several books, including The Starr Report Disrobed (2000). She received a National Humanities Medal in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirley Gordon (writer)</span> American writer

Shirley Gordon was an American writer of radio programs, television shows, and children's books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracey Poirier</span> U.S. Army brigadier general

Tracey Poirier is an officer in the Army National Guard. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps and United States Army, she has served in the military since 1991, and has been the director of the joint staff for the Vermont National Guard since 2022. Poirier's command assignments included the 186th Brigade Support Battalion and 124th Regiment. She was promoted to brigadier general in July 2023, and her awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, and Army Achievement Medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molly Gray</span> American politician (born 1984)

Molly Rose Gray is an American attorney and politician who served as the 83rd lieutenant governor of Vermont from 2021 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she was an assistant attorney general for Vermont from 2018 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence Purington</span> American college professor

Florence E. Purington was an American college administrator and mathematics professor. She was the first dean of Mount Holyoke College, holding that office from 1907 to 1929.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirley Fulton</span> American judge and prosecutor (1952–2023)

Shirley L. Fulton was an American judge and prosecutor. She was the first African American woman to serve as a judge in the Superior Court of North Carolina, a position she held for 14 years. Earlier in her career, she had served as the first black female prosecutor in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Russell, Jenna (February 21, 2023). "In Vermont, a School and Artist Fight Over Murals of Slavery". The New York Times . Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Faculty – Shirley Jefferson". Vermont Law & Graduate School. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  3. ↑ Merriman, Anna (June 7, 2020). "Calls for Change Hit Home". Valley News. West Lebanon, New Hampshire. Retrieved February 23, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Hinckley, Sarah (January 20, 2009). "Vermont Law School to celebrate first African American president". Rutland Herald. Retrieved February 23, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 3 "Shirley A. Jefferson Receives National Award for Commitment to Diversity". Vermont Law & Graduate School. November 22, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Introducing the Dean Shirley Jefferson Distinguished Service Award". Vermont Law School. June 30, 2022 – via YouTube.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Gil Kujovich". Valley News. West Lebanon, New Hampshire. January 3, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 Mihaly, Christy (February 2015). "Marching to Montgomery and Beyond". Cobblestone. Retrieved February 23, 2023– via EBSCOHost.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Lewis, Judith (October 22, 1982). "The Road From Selma – For Student Shirley Jefferson It Led to Vermont Law School via McDonald's". Valley News. West Lebanon, New Hampshire. Retrieved February 23, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 "New VSCS trustees". Rutland Daily Herald. July 3, 2021. p. B5. Retrieved February 23, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Ex-United Black Fund Counsel Is New Asst. Dean At Vermont Law School". Jet. October 29, 2001. Retrieved February 23, 2023– via Gale OneFile.
  12. ↑ Lewis, Judith (October 22, 1982). "The Road From Selma (Continued from Page 1)". Valley News. West Lebanon, New Hampshire. p. 14. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  13. ↑ "On the Move". Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. August 18, 2022. p. 33. Retrieved February 23, 2023– via EBSCOHost.
  14. ↑ Chambers, Julius L.; Kujovich, Gil (2008). "Martin Luther King Day Celebratory Speech, Vermont Law School". Vermont Law Review. 33 (1): 131–141 – via EBSCOHost.
  15. ↑ Scherr, Sonia (June 13, 2005). "Beda Kendall Made History on Behalf of Others". Valley News. Retrieved February 23, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  16. 1 2 "National Headliners". Jet. June 5, 2000. Retrieved February 22, 2023– via EBSCOHost.
  17. ↑ "Shirley A. Jefferson, Esq". National Diversity Pre-Law Conference. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  18. ↑ Kyaw, Arrman (July 15, 2022). "Shirley Jefferson Appointed VP for Community Engagement and Government Affairs at Vermont Law and Graduate School". Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Grayson, Margaret (March 10, 2021). "Artist Sues Vermont Law School Over Planned Removal of His Slavery-Themed Mural". Seven Days. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.