Jacqueline A. Berrien facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jacqueline A. Berrien
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | |
| In office April 7, 2010 – September 2, 2014 |
|
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Naomi C. Earp |
| Succeeded by | Jenny R. Yang |
| Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | |
| In office April 7, 2010 – 2014 |
|
| Preceded by | Christine Griffin |
| Succeeded by | Charlotte Burrows |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jacqueline Ann Berrien
November 28, 1961 Washington, D.C. |
| Died | November 9, 2015 (aged 53) Baltimore, Maryland |
| Spouse | Peter M. Williams |
| Residence | Washington, D.C. |
| Alma mater | Oberlin College (B.A.) Harvard University (J.D.) |
| Profession | Attorney |
Jacqueline Ann Berrien (born November 28, 1961 – died November 9, 2015), often called Jackie Berrien, was an American lawyer and government leader. She worked to protect people's civil rights. From 2009 to 2014, Jackie Berrien was the head of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). This is a government agency that makes sure everyone has a fair chance at jobs. She worked under President Barack Obama. Before this, she helped lead the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (NAACP LDF), which also fights for civil rights.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jackie Berrien was born on November 28, 1961, in Washington, D.C., where she grew up. Her mom, Ann Berrien, was a nurse who worked for the U.S. government for 30 years. Her dad, Clifford Berrien, was a veteran of World War II. He later worked for the State Department to pay for his college education. Even in high school, Jackie worked as a clerk for the government to save money for college.
Jackie went to Oberlin College. In her third year, she won a special scholarship called the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. At Oberlin, she became good friends with Yvette Clarke, who later became a Representative in Congress. Yvette even spoke up for Jackie when she was being considered for a big job. Jackie graduated from Oberlin in 1983 with high honors in government studies.
After Oberlin, Jackie went to Harvard Law School. She graduated in 1986. While at Harvard, she was an editor for the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, a legal magazine about civil rights. After law school, Jackie worked for U. W. Clemon. He was the first African-American judge in a U.S. District Court.
A Career in Law and Justice
Working for Civil Rights
In 1994, Jackie Berrien joined the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (NAACP LDF). She worked as an assistant lawyer, focusing on making sure everyone had fair voting rights and that schools were not separated by race. She also worked for other important groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. These groups also fight for people's rights.
Jackie also shared her knowledge by teaching law. She taught at Harvard Law School, where she had studied, and at New York Law School.
From 2001 to 2004, Jackie worked for the Ford Foundation. This organization gives money to help different groups. Jackie helped manage grants for groups that often faced unfair treatment, especially in areas of peace and justice.
Leading the EEOC
In 2009, President Barack Obama chose Jackie Berrien to lead the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC is a government agency that works to stop unfair treatment in workplaces.
While leading the EEOC, Jackie worked closely with the White House to help close the gender pay gap. This means making sure men and women get paid fairly for the same work. She also worked to create rules that protected pregnant workers.
During her time, the EEOC won a huge case called EEOC v. Hill Country Farms. They won $240 million, which was the largest amount ever awarded under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at that time. The ADA helps protect people with disabilities from unfair treatment.
In 2013, the EEOC, under Jackie's leadership, sued BMW. This was because of unfair hiring practices based on race at one of their factories in South Carolina. In 2014, Jenny R. Yang took over as the head of the EEOC.
Remembering Jackie Berrien
Jackie Berrien was married to Peter M. Williams for 28 years. He was a leader at the NAACP. Jackie passed away from cancer in Baltimore on November 9, 2015.
Many people remembered Jackie for her strong dedication to civil rights. Sherrilyn Ifill, a close friend and president of the NAACP LDF, said that Jackie truly showed what the civil rights movement was about. She praised Jackie's talent, hard work, and humble way of fighting for equal jobs, voting rights, and education.
After Jackie's death, President Obama released a statement. He praised her life of fighting for what was right, saying she "fought hard every day to make real our nation’s promise of equal opportunity for all." Hundreds of people gathered at the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Brooklyn to remember her, including her college friend, Representative Yvette Clarke. In 2021, a street in Brooklyn, Decatur Street, was even renamed Jacqueline Berrien Way in her honor.
