Elaine Jones facts for kids

Elaine R. Jones is a famous American lawyer and activist who worked for civil rights. She joined the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) in 1970. In 1993, she made history by becoming the first woman to lead the organization as its president.

Elaine Jones's Early Life and Schooling

Elaine Jones was born on March 2, 1944, in Norfolk, Virginia. She grew up in the Southern United States during the time of Jim Crow laws. These laws enforced racial segregation and discrimination. Her parents taught her about the unfairness of racism but also about the importance of hoping for a better world.

Her mother was a teacher who went to college. Her father worked as a Pullman porter and was part of the first Black trade union in the country.

Her College and Law School Journey

After high school, Elaine went to Howard University. She studied political science and graduated with honors in 1965.

From 1965 to 1967, she taught English in the Peace Corps in Turkey. She was one of the first African Americans to serve there.

After the Peace Corps, she became the first African-American woman to attend and graduate from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1970.

Elaine Jones's Civil Rights Work

After finishing law school in 1970, Elaine Jones joined the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF). The LDF is the oldest law firm in the United States that fights for equal rights and justice. They work for people of color, women, and those who are poor.

She was one of the first African-American women to defend people who were facing the death penalty. Sometimes, groups like the Ku Klux Klan would protest her trials.

Important Court Cases and Legal Victories

In 1972, just two years after law school, she was a lead lawyer in a very important case called Furman v. Georgia. This case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Because of this case, the death penalty was stopped in 37 states for a while.

During this time, she also worked on many cases about employment discrimination. These cases helped people who were treated unfairly at work because of their race.

Working for the Government

In 1975, Elaine Jones became a special helper to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, William T. Coleman, Jr.. She helped create rules that allowed women to join the United States Coast Guard.

She returned to the LDF in 1977. There, she started a new role as a legislative advocate in their Washington, D.C. office. This meant she worked to convince lawmakers to pass fair laws. She became known for being a great negotiator and a strong voice for people who were left out of society.

Her work helped to make the federal court system more fair. It led to more judges of color and more judges who believed in equal rights. She also played a big part in passing important laws like the Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1982, the Fair Housing Act of 1988, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991.

Leading the NAACP Legal Defense Fund

In 1993, Elaine Jones made history again. She became the first woman to be named president and director-counsel of the LDF.

As the leader, she expanded the LDF's work into new areas. This included fighting for fairness in health care and environmental justice. She also kept the organization focused on its main goals: improving education, protecting voting rights, ensuring economic access, and reforming criminal justice.

Key Achievements as President

Under her leadership, the LDF successfully defended affirmative action in the case Gratz v. Bollinger. Affirmative action is about making sure everyone has a fair chance, especially in education.

She also led a successful effort to get clemency (a type of pardon) for a young woman named Kemba Smith. This case helped to show how unfair some mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines were, which led to too many people being put in prison.

In 2000, President Bill Clinton gave Elaine Jones the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award. This award recognized her important work for human rights.

After 34 years of service, she stepped down from her position at the LDF in 2004.

Awards and Recognition

• Foremother Award from National Center for Health Research, 2016