It was a historic moment Wednesday, as marble statue of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune,the founder of Bethune-Cookman University and champion of civil and women’s rights was unveiled in Statuary Hall in our nation's Capitol.
Watch the entire ceremony below:
Fifteen years ago, Omaha native and human rights activist Malcolm X was deemed too controversial to be added to the Nebraska Hall of Fame.
Now supporters are trying again to get him included among recognized Nebraska greats and to have his bust join 26 others in the State Capitol.
JoAnna LeFlore-Ejike, a board member with the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation, submitted one of two nominations to the Nebraska Hall of Fame for the man who was born in 1925 as Malcolm Little. She said he deserves consideration as "one of the greatest and most influential African-Americans in history."
"It’s important for us, the city of Omaha, to have an opportunity to support the legacy of Malcolm’s birth here," she said. "It encourages the rest of the state to know about the true civil rights history of Omaha."
The Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission will hold public hearings in each of the three congressional districts, starting next week, to take testimony about the nominees.
Under state law, to be included in the Hall of Fame, people must have been born in Nebraska, gained prominence while living in Nebraska or have lived in the state and their residence in the state be an important influence on their lives and contributed to their greatness.
In addition, at least 35 years must pass between a person's death and the date he or she is officially named as a member. Lawmakers added the requirement to ensure that a person's accomplishments stood the test of time.
Secondary consideration is given to people involved in "entertainment, athletics or fields of endeavor where interest, publicity, and general recognition may for a time be intense, but where a contribution to society is secondary."
The commission is slated to meet in August to narrow the field of nominees, then decide on Sept. 12 who should become the newest Hall of Fame member. That finalist will be officially inducted in 2025.
Civil Rights icon, educator, author, philanthropist, humanitarian and women's rights activist Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune will be honored Wednesday when a statue of her likeness is unveiled at Statuary Hall. Her statue will represent her home state of Florida.
The statue of Dr. Bethune marks the first time in U.S. history that an African American will represent a state in the Hall at the U.S. Capitol.
President Biden is announcing five new federal judicial nominees, all of whom are extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution.
These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country — both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.
Among those nominees is Judge Kelley J. Hodge who is a candidate for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Kelley B. Hodge is a partner at Fox Rothschild in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she has worked since 2020. Ms. Hodge was previously Of Counsel at Elliott Greenleaf in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania from 2016 to 2017 and 2018 to 2020. Ms. Hodge was the interim District Attorney for the City of Philadelphia from 2017 to 2018. From 2015 to 2016, she was the Title IX Coordinator and Executive Assistant to the President at the University of Virginia. From 2011 to 2015, she served as the Safe Schools Advocate under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. From 2004 to 2011, she worked in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. Ms. Hodge was a public defender in the Richmond, Virginia Public Defender’s Office from 1997 to 2003. Ms. Hodge received her J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law in 1996 and B.A. from the University of Virginia in 1993.
President Biden is announcing five new federal judicial nominees, all of whom are extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution.
These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country — both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.
Among those nominees is Judge Kai Scott who is a candidate for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Judge Kai Scott has served as a judge on the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas since her election in 2015. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Scott was the Trial Unit Chief for the Federal Community Defender Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania from 2010 to 2015. Judge Scott was an Assistant Federal Defender from 2004 to 2010. From 1998 to 2004, Judge Scott was a Trial Attorney with the Defender Association of Philadelphia. Judge Scott served as a law clerk for Judge Donald Poorman of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers Compensation from 1996 to 1998. Judge Scott received her J.D. from the West Virginia University College of Law in 1995 and her B.A. from Hampton University in 1991.
