Margaret Burnham facts for kids

Margaret A. Burnham (born December 28, 1944) is an American lawyer and a respected professor of law. She teaches at Northeastern University School of Law. Margaret Burnham also started the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project. This project helps to investigate old civil rights cases. She is also a co-founder of the Burnham-Nobles Digital Archive. This archive collects important historical documents. Since April 2022, she has been a member of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board. This board looks into unsolved civil rights cases.

Early Life and Education

Margaret Burnham was born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1944. She grew up to be a very smart student. She earned her first college degree, a Bachelor of Arts, from Tougaloo College. She studied history there. Later, she went to the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She earned her law degree, a Bachelor of Laws, from this university.

Career Highlights

Margaret Burnham has had a long and important career in law. She has worked to make things fair for everyone.

Early Legal Work

One of her first jobs was as a lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. This group works to protect the civil rights of all people. In 1970, she helped defend Angela Davis in a famous court case. Angela Davis was a friend of Margaret Burnham since they were children.

Becoming a Judge

In 1977, Margaret Burnham made history. She became the first African-American woman judge in Massachusetts. She served as an Associate Justice in the Boston Municipal Court. She held this important position until 1982.

Fighting for Justice

Margaret Burnham has always fought for justice. In 2008, she was part of a major federal lawsuit. This lawsuit was against Franklin County, Mississippi. It involved the kidnapping and killing of two young men in 1964. Their names were Henry Dee and Charles Eddie Moore. This case was part of the Mississippi Cold Case investigations.

National Recognition

On June 11, 2021, President Joe Biden chose Margaret Burnham for a special role. He nominated her to be a member of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board. This board helps to uncover facts about old civil rights cases. The United States Senate confirmed her nomination on February 17, 2022. This means she officially joined the board.

Author and Scholar

Margaret Burnham is also a respected author. She has written many articles and one important book. Her book is called By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow's Legal Executioners. This book explores the history of violence during the Jim Crow era. It looks at how laws were used to harm people. The book has received many awards and positive reviews. It won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for History in 2022. It was also named a Best Book of the Year by several publications.

Family Life

Margaret Burnham comes from a family of activists and artists. Her father was Louis E. Burnham. He was a well-known activist and journalist. Her sister, Linda Burnham, is also an activist and journalist. Her brother, Charles Burnham, is a talented violinist and composer. She is also related to Forbes Burnham. He was the second president of Guyana.

See also

• List of African-American jurists
• List of first women lawyers and judges in Massachusetts