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Portman, Brown Introduce Resolution Honoring Ohio-Native and
Civil Rights Activist, Judge Nathaniel R. Jones
Special to The Truth
Thi3 week, during Black
History Month, U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod
Brown (D-OH) introduced a resolution honoring the life,
legacy and work of Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge,
Nathaniel R. Jones. Jones, a civil rights activist and
Youngstown native, was the first African-American Federal
Appeals Court Judge in Ohio, and the first black prosecutor
in the Northern District of Ohio. He served 23 years as a
Judge on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.
Jones passed away at his home in Cincinnati last month, but
his legacy will live on for generations.
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"We lost a giant in Judge Nathaniel Jones. Through his work
as a lawyer he was a national leader in advancing civil
rights and as a judge a distinguished champion in protecting
those rights. Through it all, he was a humble man of the
highest integrity. I'm proud to introduce this resolution
honoring my friend Nate Jones," said Portman.
"Judge Jones devoted his
entire life to answering the call for racial justice, and
his unwavering commitment to this country is one we should
all aspire to emulate. He not only fought to make this
country a better place, but he paved the way for generations
of lawyers, clerks and advocates that will follow him," said
Brown.
Jones was born and raised in
Youngstown, Ohio, and attended Youngstown State University,
where he earned an undergraduate degree in 1951 and a law
degree in 1955. Jones later went on to serve in the United
States Army Air Corps during World War II.
In 1967, President Lyndon B.
Johnson appointed Judge Nathaniel Jones to serve as the
Assistant General Counsel for the National Advisory
Commission on Civil Disorders, also known as the Kerner
Commission. The final report issued by the commission found
racism to be the cause of civil unrest occurring in cities
across the U.S. during the 1960s, and determined that the
United States was "moving toward two societies, one black,
one white-separate and unequal."
Jones also served as the
General Counsel for the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 1969 to 1979,
directing efforts to desegregate public schools in Northern
cities, defending affirmative action, and fighting against
discrimination against African American soldiers in U.S.
Armed Forces.
In addition to countless
groundbreaking achievements, Jones received 19 honorary
degrees and numerous awards of distinction, such as the
Spingarn Medal, the highest honor awarded by the NAACP, the
International Freedom Conductor Award from the National
Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the Charles Hamilton
Houston Medallion of Merit from the Washington Bar
Association, and the Pillar of Justice Award from the
Federal Bar Association.
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