Archived News
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Obama Saddened by Ogletree’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
President Obama is fondly voicing support for his close friend and mentor, Harvard Law School professor Charles Ogletree, who has revealed he has Alzheimer’s disease. Obama has spoken of Ogletree, 63, as a constant source of inspiration to him, particularly during difficult times. In a statement to the Globe, the president said Tuesday that he and his wife, Michelle, are saddened to hear of the diagnosis. Both graduated from Harvard Law School. “Professor Charles Ogletree has been a dear friend and mentor to Michelle and me since we met him as law students more than two decades ago,” Obama said.…
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Most Oregon death row inmates suffer significant mental impairments, Harvard report finds
By Casey Parks, The Oregonian According to the article, a recently released report by Fair Punishment Project, found “More than a quarter of Oregon’s 35 death row inmates have evidence of an intellectual disability or traumatic brain injury. Others endured “devastatingly severe” childhood trauma. Six were younger than 21 when they were arrested. Oregon’s rate of impaired inmates is on par with states such as Alabama and Texas, the report found. Researchers said they didn’t examine the cause of Oregon’s rate.”
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Brown-Nagin named faculty director of Charles Hamilton Houston Institute
Harvard Law School Dean Martha Minow has appointed Professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin to be the faculty director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice (CHHI) at HLS. Brown-Nagin, an award-winning legal historian and an expert in constitutional law and education law and policy, is the Daniel P.S. Paul Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard Law School and Professor of History at Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She succeeds Charles Ogletree as CHHI’s faculty director. Ogletree launched CHHI in September 2005 to combine scholarship, law, policy and practice in efforts to advance community justice. “Tomiko Brown-Nagin’s superb scholarship…
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Charles J. Ogletree Jr., Square
Appian Way and Garden Street in Cambridge, MA, is now Charles J. Ogletree, Jr. Square. A crowd of long-time Cambridge residents joined Mayor Denise Simmons in unveiling this dedication sign on November 11, 2017. Photos by Lolita Parker, Jr. and London Parker McWhorter The unveiling Pam and Charles Ogletree The sign
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Remembering Charles Hamilton Houston, Jr.
Charles Hamilton Houston, Jr. passed away on July 15th. From the inception of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, Charles has held a special place. This goes much farther than our name, although we are certainly proud that he chose to stand as one of our most consistent supporters. He and his wife Rose have been members of the Houston Institute family and we have been blessed by his spirit, grace, generosity and integrity. Joining us for so many of our events, his smile was at once inviting and contagious and his comments always filled with insight.…
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Top Five Deadliest Prosecutors in America
Cambridge, Mass. — In anticipation of the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark death penalty decision, Gregg v. Georgia, Harvard Law School’s Fair Punishment Project released a new report identifying America’s five deadliest head prosecutors out of the thousands that have held that office across the country in the last 40 years. Three of the five prosecutors (Joe Freeman Britt of Robeson County, North Carolina; Donnie Myers of Lexington, South Carolina; and Bob Macy of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma) personally obtained more than 35 death sentences each, while the other two (Lynne Abraham of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania and Johnny…
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From CHHI Founder Charles Ogletree
Recently, I was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s. It was something I had not anticipated and, at first, I did not know how to respond to it. Should I allow myself to become despondent amid this challenge? No–today, just as I have fought and advocated for civil rights and justice for America’s communities of color over the course of decades, I will join the efforts of others raising awareness about the illness and fighting for a cure. I am grateful for the support of my family, friends, and colleagues, and especially grateful for my wife, Pamela, in joining me in the…
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Man appeals conviction after dismissal of potential juror who said system is ‘rigged’ against black men
The Houston Institute was proud to join an amicus brief in this case along with the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Massachusetts ACLU, the New England Innocence Project, the Innocence Project, the Criminal Justice Institute at Harvard Law School, and colleagues including Hon. Geraldine Hines, Hon. Nancy Gertner, and Ronald Sullivan Jr. The brief was authored by attorneys at Foley Hoag LLP. We helped to research social science and public opinion studies exploring patterns of discrimination and disparate treatment on the basis of race in the criminal legal system. Information on the case, Commonwealth v. Quinton K. Williams, is available…
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2018 Year in Review
In the News: David J. Harris, Get Out: Toward an Honest Commitment to Racial Justice (Feb. 21, 2018) Katy Naples-Mitchell, “Parking While Black”: The Danger of Extending Traffic Stops to Parking Violations at the Supreme Court (Sept. 21, 2018) Johanna Wald, What’s Inside the Prosecutorial ‘Black Box’? (Mar. 22, 2018) Lisa H. Thurau & Johanna Wald, Police killings, brutality damaging mental health of black community (Sept. 14, 2018) Katy Naples-Mitchell, Forget The Ticket — Could You Get Arrested For A Parking Violation? (Sept. 8, 2018) Johanna Wald, Chicago Cop Jason Van Dyke’s Record Was a Warning Sign (Oct. 28, 2018) Episode 28: Community Justice For All – A Conversation About…
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Remembering Lillie A. Estes
Lillie A. Estes, Richmond, VA, community strategist and our beloved friend and partner, passed away yesterday, January 31st. Diminished by loss and grief, we remember Lillie A. Estes with strengthened resolve to create a more just world. — Read about Lillie: Richmond Times-Dispatch: Lillie A. Estes, ‘exemplar’ of community organizing, left her mark in Gilpin Court and well beyond (pdf) Richmond Times-Dispatch: Lillie Estes fought for community justice with charm and determination Community Idea Stations: Community Mourns Passing of Civic Leader and Strategist Lillie A. Estes Style Weekly: Community Strategist and Mentor Lillie A. Estes Has Died A video we produced highlighting some of…