Jane Bohn Accomplishments

As Judge Jane Bolin states, “We have to fight every inch of the way and in the face of sometimes insufferable humiliations.” Jane Bolin, a children's rights and educational activist, faced many challenges on her way to becoming a judge; which had to do with her being a woman and most importantly being a black woman. Jane Bolin was born in 1908 in Poughkeepsie, New York, the youngest of four children. While in school she had many accomplishments and overcame many obstacles leading her to better herself and those around her. Jane Bolin was a woman who changed the perspective on black women and children and changed the lives of many people. She did this by raising the standards on women, defending justice and equality for women and children, and

She did this by graduating early from high school, while being at the top of her class, and enrolled in Yale Law school in 1928. She was the only black student and one of only three other women in her class. In 1931 Bolin became the first black woman to receive a law degree from Yale. The next year, she passed the New York state bar examination – the first black woman to do so. In an article from HerStory, Jane implies, "There was little opportunity for women in law, and absolutely none for a ‘colored’ one’” (Norzom). These words show how hard she had to work even to be recognized as a normal human being while living with the racism she was already facing on an everyday basis. The fact that Bolin demonstrates such a good illustration for women and children around the world truly made her stand

While attending Yale she and the only other black girl in her class faced racism or racial bias and indignities from the white students and administration. Because of that, they had to find ways to occupy themselves in ways that included not seeing other students. According to a website from Yale University, “In one instance, when Bolin confided to a Wellesley guidance counselor that she was interested in a law career, the counselor discouraged her advising that black women had little chance to succeed in the profession. Bolin graduated as a Wellesley Scholar, which is a reward for being in the top 20 of her class, but with unhappy memories of her alma mater” (Monroe). The struggles that Bolin had to overcome show that she truly had to fight for herself and show others that no matter her race or gender she could do what she put her mind to. She received very little help on her path to becoming a lawyer, which had a significant impact on her