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Esmeralda Simmons facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Esmeralda Simmons is a special kind of lawyer called a civil rights attorney. She works to make sure everyone is treated fairly and has the same rights. She is also the leader of the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York.

Esmeralda Simmons started this center in 1986. It helps people understand their legal rights. In 2014, she was honored as a New York State Woman Of Distinction. In 2018, she received the Haywood Burns Award for her important work.

Simmons has worked for the government at different levels. She helped protect civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education. She also worked for New York State as an assistant Attorney General. This means she helped the state with legal matters. She was also a top human rights official for New York State. Later, she helped redraw city council maps in New York City. In 1993, the mayor, David Dinkins, chose her to join the New York City Board of Education. This board helps run the city's schools.

Early Life and Education

Esmeralda Simmons grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents moved there from St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. She lived in a neighborhood that was mostly Black. Later, her family moved to an area that was mostly white. This big change helped her decide to work for civil and racial justice. She wanted to help make sure everyone was treated equally.

She went to Hunter College at the City University of New York. She also studied law at Brooklyn Law School. She was a special student, called a Revson Fellow, at Columbia University. Today, she teaches law to others. She also teaches people how to spot when human rights are not being respected.

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