New Rochelle High School Visit

On July 15, 2022, the Commission staff visited New Rochelle High School and collaborated with Commissioner, Dr. Betty Campbell, and the New Rochelle Police Department, Police and Community Together (P.A.C.T.) Unit and Youth Bureau, for a feature screening of “A Bridge to Justice: The Life of Franklin H. Williams”, followed by a discussion using the FHW PBS documentary educational curriculum. The 60+ students in attendance, who initially admitted to never having heard of Franklin H. Williams, left the program being able to articulate his impact on the judiciary and civil rights movement.

After the screening, former Williams Commission 9th Judicial District Advisory Group Members, Hon. Patricia Brimais-Tenemille and Sharon G. Matthie, Esq., discussed their career paths and roles in the court system. FHW Summer Legal Interns, Naya Brown-Yohay and Ryen Lim, also discussed their first-year law school experience, along with the requirements needed to attend law school.

Thereafter, the Commission staff engaged the students in a discussion centered on advocacy, along with the impact of Ambassador Williams’ on the New York State court system. We discussed the pathway to the legal profession, the need for diversity in the court system and in the judiciary, and the importance of jury service. We also discussed the various careers in the court system—emphasizing that the court system incorporates various roles and professions. The students also received hand-outs with information about Franklin Williams and the careers available in the court system.

The presentation ended with remarks by FHW Commissioner, Dr. Betty Campbell, who discussed her time as a young student at New Rochelle High School—like most of the students in the audience, and how she ascended to the role of the Commissioner of Jurors of Westchester County. She further discussed the importance of jury service and civic engagement, leaving the students with an impactful message to answer the call and to encourage their family members to answer the call when someone in the household receives a juror summons.

The New Rochelle Police Department has expressed interest in conducting a similar program in the future with the larger student body at New Rochelle High School.

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