Jack Greenberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Greenberg
|
|
|---|---|
Greenberg c. 1952
|
|
| Born | December 22, 1924 |
| Died | October 12, 2016 (aged 91) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
|
| Alma mater |
|
| Occupation | Lawyer, legal scholar |
| Known for | Directing the NAACP Legal Defense Fund for 23 years |
| Relatives | Daniel S. Greenberg (brother) |
| Awards | Presidential Citizens Medal |
Jack Greenberg (December 22, 1924 – October 12, 2016) was an important American lawyer and legal expert. He is best known for his work fighting for civil rights in the United States. From 1961 to 1984, he led the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF). He took over this role from Thurgood Marshall, who later became a Supreme Court Justice.
Greenberg was involved in many very important court cases. One of the most famous was Brown v. Board of Education. This case helped to end segregation, which was the unfair separation of people by race, in public schools. Overall, he argued 40 civil rights cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. He won almost all of these cases.
Later in his life, he became a law professor at Columbia Law School. He also served as a dean at Columbia College. Jack Greenberg passed away on October 12, 2016.
Contents
Early Life and War Service
Jack Greenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 22, 1924. He grew up in a Jewish family. His brother, Daniel S. Greenberg, became a well-known science journalist.
During World War II, Jack Greenberg joined the United States Navy. He fought in major battles like Okinawa and Iwo Jima. He commanded a special boat called a landing craft during the invasion of Iheya Jima. This was one of the last battles of the war.
While in the Navy, he saw a lot of racial unfairness. This bothered him greatly. He even risked being punished for defending a Black crewman he felt was being treated badly.
After the war, Greenberg finished his education. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College in 1945. He then studied law at Columbia Law School, getting his law degree in 1948. In 1984, Columbia Law School also gave him an honorary law degree.
A Champion for Civil Rights
In 1949, Jack Greenberg became the only white lawyer working for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF). This organization worked to protect the rights of African Americans. In 1961, he became the Director-Counsel of the LDF, taking over from Thurgood Marshall.
Greenberg often spoke about his first times arguing cases before the Supreme Court. He said it felt like a very special, almost religious experience. He felt a deep sense of respect for the Court.
Fighting Segregation in Schools
One of Jack Greenberg's most important achievements was arguing the case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. He worked alongside Thurgood Marshall on this landmark case. The Brown case challenged state laws that forced Black and white students to attend separate public schools.
The Supreme Court decided that these separate schools were unconstitutional. This meant they were against the law of the land. In this case, Greenberg helped find experts who showed how forced segregation harmed young students.
Other Important Cases
In 1962, Greenberg argued Meredith v. Fair. This case was a big step towards ending segregation at the University of Mississippi. It allowed James Meredith, a Black student, to enroll there.
Greenberg argued other important civil rights cases too. In 1969, he argued Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education. This case ordered that segregated school systems had to end "at once." In 1971, he argued Griggs v. Duke Power Company. This case made it illegal to use job tests that unfairly discriminated against certain groups.
In 1972, he argued Furman v. Georgia. In this case, the Court ruled that the death penalty, as it was being used then, was an unfair punishment. This was based on the "cruel and unusual punishment" part of the Eighth Amendment.
Founding Other Human Rights Groups
Jack Greenberg also helped start other important groups that work for civil and human rights. He was a founding member of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF). He also helped create Human Rights Watch, which is a global organization.
Teaching and Inspiring Others
Besides being a lawyer, Jack Greenberg was also a dedicated teacher. He taught at Columbia Law School for many years. He was also a visiting professor at other famous schools like Yale Law School and Harvard Law School.
In 1982, he was asked to co-teach a class on race law at Harvard Law School. Some students wanted a Black professor to teach the class. When asked if he was scared to walk through a group of protesting students, Greenberg famously replied, "No, I was on the beach at Iwo Jima." This showed his bravery and determination.
In 1984, Greenberg left the LDF to become a professor and Vice Dean at Columbia Law School. He later served as Dean of Columbia College from 1989 to 1993. He taught about many topics, including constitutional law, civil rights, and human rights law. He even taught a class about the writer Kafka and the law.
Greenberg continued to teach at Columbia Law School even in his later years. He also remained a senior director for the LDF. He was a visiting professor at many universities around the world, including the University of Tokyo and Hebrew University.
Awards and Recognition
Jack Greenberg received many awards and honors for his important work:
- In 2001, he was given the Presidential Citizens Medal. President Bill Clinton said that Greenberg was a "crusader for freedom and equality."
- In 1998, he became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- In 1996, he received the Thurgood Marshall Award from the American Bar Association. This award recognized his long efforts to advance civil rights and human rights.
- He received honorary degrees from University of Notre Dame in 2005 and Howard University in 2004.
- In 2009, he received the Lawrence A. Wien Prize for Social Responsibility from Columbia Law School.
- In May 2014, President Barack Obama honored Greenberg. This was on the 60th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision.
Publications
Jack Greenberg had many different interests. He wrote several books about law and civil rights, including Crusaders in the Courts. He also co-wrote a cookbook called Dean Cuisine. He even appeared as a panelist for a New York Times wine tasting. He also edited a book about the writings of Franz Kafka.
Here are some of his selected books:
- Race Relations and American Law (1959)
- Litigation for Social Change (1973)
- Dean Cuisine: The Liberated Man's Guide to Fine Cooking (with Vorenberg, 1991)
- Crusaders in the Courts: How a Dedicated Band of Lawyers Fought for the Civil Rights Revolution (1994)
- Brown v. Board of Education; Witness to A Landmark Decision (2004)
See also
