Today In Black History: Dr. Mary Frances Berry
Historian, Professor, Author, Lawyer, and Activist
Issue #838 Today In Black History, Wednesday, April 9, 2025
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Born on February 17, 1938, in Nashville, Tennessee, Mary Frances Berry pursued her undergraduate education at Fisk University, followed by a master's and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Michigan, where she also earned a Juris Doctor degree.
As a historian, Dr. Berry's work has focused on African American history and constitutional law, often addressing issues of race, gender, and civil rights. She has served as a professor at several institutions, including Howard University, the University of Colorado, and the University of Pennsylvania, where she made significant contributions as a faculty member and later as the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought.
Dr. Berry is the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought. She teaches American legal history at the Department of History, School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the former chairwoman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. Previously, Berry was provost of the College of Behavioral and Social Science at University of Maryland, College Park, and was the first African American chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder.
In 1977, Dr. Berry took a leave of absence from the University of Colorado when President Jimmy Carter named her assistant secretary for education in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
In 1980, Dr. Berry left the Department of Education to return to Howard University as a professor of history and law. Carter appointed her to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, where, during her tenure, she became involved in legal battles with Carter's successor, Ronald Reagan. When Reagan attempted to remove her from the board, she successfully went to court to keep her seat.
Dr. Berry served from 1980 to 2004, including over a decade as its chair. Her leadership was defined by a steadfast commitment to addressing systemic discrimination and advocating for policies that promote equality and justice. Berry's work on the commission was instrumental in highlighting issues such as voter suppression, educational disparities, and police brutality.
In 1984, Berry co-founded the Free South Africa Movement, which was dedicated to the abolition of apartheid in South Africa. She was one of three prominent Americans arrested at the South African Embassy in Washington the day before Thanksgiving.
Dr. Mary Frances Berry has written numerous publications, including "Black Resistance/White Law" and "Power in Words: The Stories Behind Barack Obama's Speeches, from the State House to the White House," which provide critical insights into the American civil rights movement and the ongoing struggle for racial equality.
Today In Black History
In 1816, Richard Allen was elected as the first bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, PA.
In 1866, the Civil Rights Bill, supposedly conferring citizenship and full rights on Blacks, overcame President Andrew Johnson's veto.
In 1919, the African Orthodox Church was organized by George Alexander McGuire.
In 1939, singer Marian Anderson performed for 65,000 people on the Lincoln Memorial steps after being refused admission to the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Constitutional Hall.
In 1950, Juanita Hall became the first African American to win a Tony Award for her role as Bloody Mary in the musical “South Pacific.”
In 1968, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was buried in Atlanta, and Rev. Ralph Abernathy was elected head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
In 1990, Percy Lavon Julian and George Washington Carver became the first Black inventors elected to the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
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And as someone who got to meet her, she was always a lovely person and nice to the support staff.
Thank you for highlighting her career.