Atlanta's John Marshall Law School announces Jace C. Gatewood as new dean

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) is pleased to announce the permanent appointment of its 10th Dean, Jace C. Gatewood. Dean Gatewood succeeded Dean Malcolm L. Morris on January 1, 2020 as Interim Dean and CEO, and has now been affirmed by the Board as the permanent Dean. Dean Gatewood became the first African American to serve in the role since the school’s founding in 1933.

Dean Gatewood, who has been a senior member of the faculty since 2008, said “I am deeply honored and humbled to be appointed the new permanent Dean of Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. I am thrilled to be able to continue the rich legacy of the Law School as a school that provides opportunity for legal training to those who might not otherwise be able to earn a law degree. For much of its history, women and African-Americans were more welcome at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School than at many law schools, and I look forward to continuing this tradition of diversity.”

Since assuming his interim role in early 2020, the world experienced record events and the Law School required unparalleled leadership to maintain its stability. Chairman of the Board, Dr. Michael C. Markovitz noted “Dean Gatewood has come through brilliantly [the past six months]. The Law School is the better for it and is making plans for this coming year that include, among other things, an improved online learning platform.” AJMLS has continued its J.D. programs remotely and enrolled a strong Fall 2020 class amid the global pandemic.

Dean Gatewood has served in roles such as Associate Professor, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, and Associate Dean of Academic Programs. In addition to teaching, he has chaired the curriculum committee, and been a member of the admissions committee and faculty recruitment committee. Dean Gatewood has taught a range of courses including Property, Business Organizations, Sales and Secured Transactions, Wills, Trusts and Estates, and Agency and Negotiations. As a faculty member at Atlanta’s John Marshall, Dean Gatewood has authored numerous scholarly publications, with his chief research topic being the fourth amendment and an individual’s right to privacy in an increasingly technological world.

Dean Gatewood attended Georgetown University where he was a full scholarship track and field athlete. Becoming the first African American Dean of AJMLS was not his first historic moment, he was also a world and American record-holder for the Distance Medley Relay in 1980. Dean Gatewood went on to earn his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Prior to entering academia, Dean Gatewood practiced for nearly two decades in New York and Atlanta at Weil Gotshal LLP, Troutman Sanders LLP, Powell Goldstein LLP, Atlanta Housing Authority, and the Law Offices of Jace C. Gatewood. He specialized in a wide range of commercial lending and corporate and real estate finance transactions. His expertise includes the representation of lenders and foreign and domestic commercial banks in the establishment and administration of single lender and syndicated loan facilities of all kinds

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“While I understand the symbolism of my being the first African American appointed Dean of Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, especially during a period of social unrest in the wake of a national antiracism movement and a global pandemic, my focus as Dean will be to move the school to be a more progressive institution by incorporating emerging technologies into the classroom to enable more innovative and engaging teaching methods and learning experiences,” said Dean Gatewood. “All while continuing the efforts of the Law School to promote diversity and inclusiveness in the legal field.”

Despite the events and challenges of 2020, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School has evolved and maintained a rigorous course of study under Dean Gatewood’s leadership. The Law School continues to finalize its new status as a not-for-profit law school and looks forward to a successful academic year.

A Massive Ida B. Wells Mosaic Is Coming to Union Station

A thousand portraits of suffragists make up the massive mosaic of Ida B. Wells that will call Union Station home next week, a nod to the 100-year anniversary of the right-to-vote movement and the role the D.C. landmark played.

From Aug. 24-28, the 1,000-square-foot mosaic, titled “Our Story: Portraits of Change,” will be displayed on the marble floor, assembled from thousands of historical photos of suffragists, with each image telling its own story about the fight for women’s right to vote.

“We’ve gathered together over 1,000 portraits of suffragists, and when you put those photographs together in a certain way and zoom out, those 1,000 portraits then become one very large portrait of suffragist and anti-lynching activist Ida B. Wells,” Anna Laymon, director of the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission.

Wells, a journalist, activist and educator, “traveled internationally, shedding light on lynching to foreign audiences. Abroad, she openly confronted white women in the suffrage movement who ignored lynching. Because of her stance, she was often ridiculed and ostracized by women’s suffrage organizations in the United States,” according to the National Women’s History Museum.

The mosaic portrait installation made of smaller images speaks to the power of the many it takes to form a social movement, Laymon said.

Visual artists Helen Marshall, of The People’s Picture, and Cristina Korp, of Purpose Entertainment, brought the vision of the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission to reality.

Marshall, who has worked on similar projects, including one marking the centenary of the women’s vote in U.K. in 2018, said, “I am beyond grateful to have enjoyed so many of the choices brought to me by the generations of women before me.”

[SOURCE: WTOP]

WATCH: Kamala Harris’ full speech at the 2020 Democratic National Convention

Watch Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris address Democrats on Aug. 19 during the third night of the Democratic National Convention.

Watch Barack Obama’s Full Speech At The 2020 DN

Former President Barack Obama gave his DNC speech from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. Obama stressed Joe Biden’s qualifications and called out President Trump for “treating the presidency” like “one more reality show.”

Watch his full speech below:

UNCF to Host new National Virtual Walk for Education, supporting both HBCUs and Students

Online fundraising event will provide fun interactive activities for the public during mandatory social distancing

Washington, D.C., Aug. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- How do you stay safe during a pandemic, raise money for a great cause and get some exercise in on the side? Through the UNCF (United Negro College Fund) Virtual Walk for Education®, of course! The new digital fundraiser replaces the annual in-person walk events that many of the UNCF local offices conduct each spring, summer and fall, taking what’s typically been a market-by-market approach on to a fully nationwide event. 

The revamped, highly anticipated UNCF National Virtual Walk for Education® aims to raise funds to support historically Black colleges and universities and the students they serve through the help of individuals, corporations and other group donors. While the country is practicing social distancing, the event will engage participants in activities to walk, run, cycle and dance safely—all the while having fun and still raising money for UNCF. The Walk is set for 2 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. PDT on Saturday, Sept. 19. 

 “For more than 76 years, UNCF has fueled HBCUs with vital resources to educate generations of African American and other minority students,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF. “During an unprecedented time in our history compounded by COVID-19 and racial disparities, our students and institutions are faced with enormous challenges now more than ever. We are at risk of washing away a generation of talented and deserving African American and minority students. We need as many donations as possible right now because the students we help now will be our next generation of doctors, nurses, biologists, virologists, epidemiologists—the pandemic frontliners of the future. We invite everyone to join our new National Virtual Walk for Education to help ensure better futures for us all.”

 A UNCF survey of more than 5,000 students across 17 HBCUs found that many are dealing with difficulties such as sick family members, trouble paying bills and general stress from the ongoing pandemic and recent protests against police brutality. Support is needed now more than ever as students and institutions are faced with challenges including COVID-19 and racial disparities.

Current national sponsors of the UNCF National Virtual Walk for Education® are National Doctorate Sponsor, Colgate-Palmolive Company and the National Master’s Sponsors, Essentia Water and Arch Capital Group, LTD.

The digital fundraiser will also honor local supporters, highlight UNCF HBCU presidents and include a celebrity DJ spinning live. Participants will be able to engage in a celebrity fitness warm-up including up-beat music to dance to all in honor of supporting HBCUs and their students.

To register for the event and find the local office that supports your area, please go to: https://uncf.org/event/2020-national-virtual-walk-for-education

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About UNCF

UNCF (the United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 21 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.