Celebrating BHM
See the following articles:
Indelible Legacy
Influential Figures
Fashion, Food, and Fun
Passing the Torch
Struggles and Achievements
Past, Present, Future
Indelible Legacy
February 27, 2025
New York County Supreme-Civil Courthouse, Lower Manhattan
First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George received the prestigious Theodore Jones Legacy Award at a ceremony at Manhattan’s 60 Centre Street courthouse hosted by the UCS Committee to Celebrate Black History Month, the Tribune Society, Inc. and the Judicial Friends Association.
The award honors members of the bench who embody the deep commitment to public service and passion for justice of its trailblazing namesake, a longstanding State Supreme Court Justice in Brooklyn and the fourth African American to sit on New York’s Court of Appeals.
Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson and New York County Clerk and Commissioner of Jurors Milton Tingling were among the many distinguished guests at the February event, which aptly took place in the Court’s grand and historic rotunda.
Influential Figures
February, 2025
Suffolk County Courts, Long Island
The Suffolk County Courts, with support from the Amistad Long Island Black Bar Association and the Suffolk County Bar Association, celebrated Black History Month with a series of captivating events highlighting this year's theme, “African Americans and Labor.”
On February 6, the Suffolk court complex in Central Islip hosted a screening of “Pullman & The Railroad Rebellion,” chronicling the story of the Pullman Porters, whose labor rebellion set the stage for the civil rights movement.
The following week, the Central Islip complex was the site of a legal education program, presented by local attorney-history Rudy Carmenaty and focused on baseball player Curt Flood's legal challenge to Major League Baseball's reserve clause, which paved the way for free agency in professional sports.
The County's events commemorating Black History Month culminated with a celebration and awards ceremony on February 28 during which Administrative Judge Andrew Crecca presented Captain Lydell Thompson—the Suffolk County Courts' first African American to hold the titles of Lieutenant and Captain—with the Hon. Toni A. Bean Award for his distinguished, longstanding service. The award bears the name of the late Suffolk County District Court judge and stalwart member of the African American legal community. Retired court attorney Adrienne Williams was also honored for her 30-plus years of service to the Suffolk courts and her contributions to the County's legal community, earning the Hon. Marquette L. Floyd Award, named for the County's first African American District Court judge and Supreme Court justice.
Throughout February, the Suffolk County Courts displayed exhibits capturing this year's theme, with the courts' Black History Month Planning Committee designing informative and creative displays depicting influential Black figures in the nation's labor movement for court employees and visitors alike to learn from and enjoy.
Fashion, Food, and Fun
February 27, 2025
Queens County Supreme Court, Criminal Term, Kew Gardens
The Queens County Supreme Court-Criminal Term's Ceremonial Courtroom transformed into a fashion runway as Court Officers and other court professionals modeled clothing and accessories from the past, highlighting African Americans' influence on iconic trends of the ‘20s, ‘70s and ‘80s and the fashion industry at a Black History Month celebration hosted by the Court's Equal Justice Committee. Each “model” at the Court's “Black Fashion Through the Decades” program was tasked with creating their own look, with members of the Committee providing the props.
The program featured in-house choir Crim Keys, led by Senior Court Clerk Jeanetta Johnson who, along with the choir members, selected the songs to introduce each fashion decade. Queens County Supreme-Civil Court Senior Court Clerk Ramon Vega took the role of DJ, and a live band accompanied Court Officer and soloist Afua White.
The fashion show was the brainchild of Sgt. Damani Nyahuma, who began planning for Black History Month, which falls in February, in November 2024. Queens County Supreme-Criminal Court Attorney Jennifer Saint-Preux managed the event, with the Committee meeting regularly to coordinate the many moving parts that made the show such a success. Along with the iconic clothing and musical performances, these included the savory fare from Black-owned restaurant Rockaway Fish House, the Committee's delicious home-baked desserts, and Court Officer Lakeya Whittaker's festive decorations.
Passing the Torch
February 19, 2025
Appellate Division, Second Dept., Brooklyn
Kings County Supreme Court Justices Cenceria P. Edwards and Desmond A. Green were among the recipients of the prestigious Hon. William C. Thompson Sr. Award in honor of their contributions to the legal profession and community. Named for the late Appellate Division, Second Department Associate Justice who blazed a path as Brooklyn's first African American state senator, the awards were presented at a ceremony in mid-February at the Appellate Division, Second Department courthouse in Brooklyn.
Appellate Division, Second Department Presiding Justice Hector D. LaSalle welcomed the many distinguished guests, who included Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas, First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George, Deputy Chief Administrative Judges Edwina Richardson and Adam Silvera, Justice Thompson's son, the former New York City comptroller William Thompson Jr., and Kings County District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. Antioch Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Robert M. Waterman delivered both the invocation and benediction, with Second Department Associate Justice Paul Wooten introducing the honorees.
Kudos to the awardees—who also include former U.S. Attorney Breon Peace—and a special thanks to the Second Department's partners for their co-sponsorship of this special Black History Month event: the Brooklyn Bar Association, Brooklyn Women's Bar Association, Judicial Friends Association, Metropolitan Black Bar Association, and Caribbean American Lawyers Association.
Struggles and Achievements
February 4, 2025
Queens County Supreme Court-Civil Term, Jamaica
Queens County Supreme Court's Civil Term commemorated Black History Month with an inspirational program emceed by award-winning journalist Cheryl Wills, the first African American woman to host a primetime cable network newscast and the author of an acclaimed book series on her family's heroic transition from slavery to freedom in the U.S.
Administrative Judge Marguerite A. Grays, who introduced Ms. Wills, and Queens County Supreme Court Justice Nicole McGregor Mundy were among the distinguished speakers at the event, which highlighted African Americans' contributions to the labor movement.
The New York State Court Officer Honor Guard opened the program with the Presentation of Colors. The program also featured a performance by ordained minister and recording artist Rashad McPherson.
Past, Present, Future
February 6, 2025
Monroe County Hall of Justice, Rochester
A statue bearing the likeness of prominent abolitionist and intellectual Frederick Douglass now adorns the atrium of the Monroe County Hall of Justice in Rochester. The work of local artist Olivia Kim and on loan from the City of Rochester, the sculpture was unveiled by Monroe County's Commissioner of Jurors Charles Perreaud and Deputy Commissioner of Jurors Donna Rainford-Davis at a ceremony on Thursday, February 6, marking Black History Month.
Opening the ceremony, Seventh Judicial District Administrative Judge William K. Taylor spoke of the significance of having the statue displayed in what he referred to as “the people's court,” where last year over 16,000 Monroe County jurors entered the building to fulfill their civic duty.
First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George shared with attendees his thoughts on the intrinsic value of preserving the legacies of pioneers such as Mr. Douglass, a former slave who devoted his life to the pursuit of justice. Driving home the point, Judge St. George cited Mr. Douglass, a gifted orator: “We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the present and the future.”
City of Rochester Mayor Malik Evans described the sculpture as “a living embodiment of freedom and justice,” with Rochester City Court Supervising Judge Melissa Barrett comparing the statue's placement at the Court's entrance to that of welcoming mats and flowers at the entryway of our homes.
Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives Edwina G. Richardson was also among the distinguished speakers at the uplifting ceremony. Following the speakers' remarks, attendees were invited to visit the Court's fifth-floor Black History art gallery, dedicated to influential figures who shaped the labor movement.
Past Events:
Mount Vernon City Court's All Black Bench Visits Local High School
Staten Island Courts Pay Tribute to Courageous Nurses Dubbed “Black Angels”
Restoring Black Identity in the Arts
Suffolk Courts Present Program on Pioneering African-American Playwright
Mount Vernon City Court's All Black Bench Visits Local High School
Photo (L to R): Mount Vernon City Court Judges Peter Saint George and Tamika A. Coverdale, Mount Vernon High School Principal Pauline Pearce, Mount Vernon City Court Judges Lyndon D. Williams and Nichelle A. Johnson, and Court of Claims Judge Tim Lewis at Mount Vernon High School
March 1, 2024
Mount Vernon High School, Little Theater, Westchester
Members of the Ninth Judicial District’s Mount Vernon City Court’s historic All Black Bench participated in an engaging dialogue with Mount Vernon City High School students and faculty at an event commemorating Black History Month, hosted by the Westchester Black Bar Association in conjunction with the Court and the Ninth Judicial District. The District, led by Administrative Judge Anne E. Minihan, comprises the counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester in New York’s Hudson Valley region.
The discussion among the Mount Vernon City Court judges and the Mount Vernon High School students and faculty centered on the Third Branch’s vital role in ensuring the fair and equitable administration of justice for all who appear before the New York State Courts, regardless of race, color, background, income, and/or need.
Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson and the New York State Courts’ entire leadership team are committed to public outreach efforts, such as the March 1st Mount Vernon celebration, which serve to foster community-court partnerships, demystify the New York State Courts––informing the public about the different courts that make up New York’s state court system and the kinds of work they do––and encourage civic participation among students and New Yorkers of all ages.
Staten Island Courts Pay Tribute to Courageous Nurses Dubbed “Black Angels”
Photo: Virginia Allen (right), a retired nurse who worked the tuberculosis wards at Seaview Hospital, with The Black Angels author, Maria Similios
February 29, 2024
Richmond County Courthouse
An inspirational blend of history, dance, and cuisine, the Richmond County Courts’ African-American History Heritage Month February 29th celebration paid tribute to the courageous African-American female nurses, dubbed the “Black Angels,” who risked their lives to help patients fight tuberculosis when there was no cure. Some 300 “Black Angels”–filling positions abandoned by white nurses–served on the frontlines at Staten Island’s Seaview Hospital (now a nursing facility) from the 1930s to the 1960s, tending to tuberculosis patients, including administering the clinical trials for a drug that eventually cured tuberculosis. These brave, caring women hailed from around the country, many leaving the Jim Crow South, for the opportunity to work in a non-segregated environment and put their nursing skills to good use.
Nonagenarian Virginia Allen, who arrived at Seaview Hospital from Detroit, Michigan as a 16-year old nurse’s aide, and Maria Smilios, author of The Black Angels: Untold Story of Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis, were among the honorary speakers at the Staten Island event, which also featured remarks from Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson, First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George, Administrative Judge Desmond A. Green (13th Judicial District), and Appellate Division, First Department Presiding Justice and keynote speaker Dianne Renwick. The program closed with a lively performance by the Susan E. Wagner High School’s African Culture Club Dancers, followed by a soul food luncheon. The February celebration was presented by the Richmond County Courts’ Equal Justice in the Courts Initiative Task Force, which works to foster an inclusive environment–where New York’s rich diversity is embraced– for judges, non-judicial personnel, and all court users.
Photo (L-R): Administrative Judge Green, Presiding Justice Renwick, and First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge St. George enjoy a performance by the Susan E. Wagner High School African Culture Club Dancers
Restoring Black Identity in the Arts
Photo: Panelists (L-R) Dr. Uchenna Itam, Professor of Art History, Hunter College; Alexandra Eaton, Senior Video Journalist, New York Times; Court of Appeals Associate Judge Troutman; Cheryl R. Riley, National Endowment for the Arts Recipient/Artist/Art Advisor; and Melody Capote, Executive Director, Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute. Featured in the background is Williams Commission Executive Director Mary Lynn Nicolas-Brewster. Historian and author Katy Morlas Shannon (not pictured here) is on screen
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
New York County Surrogates Court, Manhattan
On Tuesday, February 20, the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission held an insightful Black History Month program, “Addressing Erasure: Removing the Overpaint and Restoring Black Identity in the Arts,” at New York County Surrogates Court in lower Manhattan. The program featured a thought-provoking panel discussion, led by Court of Appeals Associate Judge and Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission Co-Chair Shirley Troutman, which addressed the indefensible, decades-long practice of “overpainting” portraits to “paint out of history” prominent Black figures.
Suffolk Courts Present Program Centered on Pioneering African-American Playwright
Photo: Guest lecturer Rudy Carmenaty.
Thursday, February 15, 2024
John P. Cohalan, Jr. Court Complex, Central Islip
As part of their celebration of Black History Month, the Suffolk County Courts, together with the Amistad Long Island Black Bar Association and Suffolk County Bar Association, presented a continuing legal education (CLE) program centered on the inspirational work of pioneering African-American playwright Lorraine Hansberry. The engaging program, held at the Central Islip courthouse on February 15, explored the legal issues of racial land covenants through the seminal U.S. Supreme Court case, Hansberry v. Lee, and their effect on Ms. Hansberry’s remarkable life. The lecture focused on her award-winning play, A Raisin in the Sun, and its influence on society at the time of its debut as well as its impact today.
Administrative Judge Andrew A. Crecca welcomed the audience of court employees to the Central Islip Court’s Central Jury Room for the third installation of the Suffolk County Courts’ four-part series of programming in commemoration of Black History Month. Acting Supreme Court Justice Cheryl A. Joseph, who serves as Supervising Judge of the Suffolk County Supreme Court’s Matrimonial Parts and chair of the County’s Equal Justice in the Courts Committee, emceed the event, which featured honorary guest lecturer Rudy Carmenaty, Esq. Mr. Carmenaty, Deputy Commissioner of Nassau County’s Department of Social Services, lectures frequently on a wide range of legal and historical topics. “It gives me such great pleasure to introduce this program today because it brings us an extraordinary opportunity to see the law come alive right before our eyes,” said Acting Justice Joseph.
Photo: Acting Justice Joseph speaks to attendees
Photo: Rudy Carmenaty with members of the Equal Justice in the Courts Commission and Black History Month Committee.
