| February 5, 2024
SENATOR NEEDLEMAN WELCOMES NEW STAMP HONORING CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY, COMMEMORATING LOCAL BLACK HISTORY
State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) recently welcomed the recent release of a commemorative stamp honoring Constance Baker Motley, a Civil Rights leader who lived in Chester for 40 years, and its commemoration of local Black history amid Black History Month. The stamp, issued by the Postal Service on February 1, came as Governor Lamont declared that day “Constance Baker Motley Day” throughout Connecticut.
According to the United States Courts, Motley played a vital role in fighting for civil rights, standing as the first African American woman to serve as a federal judge and the first African American woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court. One of her most important cases argued was one that led to integration of prominent Southern universities; she further worked to provide access to schools and parks to African Americans. Motley served as a lieutenant for Thurgood Marshall and represented Martin Luther King, Jr., but blazed a trail all her own. She did it all while living in Chester from 1965 to her death in 2005 and held New Haven as a hometown.
Motley’s stamp becomes the 47th in the Postal Service’s Black Heritage series where she joins fellow figures including King, Rosa Parks and John Lewis.
“Constance Baker Motley is one of Connecticut’s most treasured daughters and her impact on our nation cannot be overstated,” said Sen. Needleman. “Her work during the Civil Rights era was responsible for incredible steps forward across our state and our nation. During Black History Month, I could not be prouder that a woman who accomplished so much and called Chester home is receiving this incredible honor.”
A celebration of Motley and the stamp will be held at the Chester Meeting House at 4 Liberty Street in Chester on Saturday, February 17 from 3 to 5 p.m., sponsored by the Chester historical Society, Chester Land Trust and Sari A. Rosenbaum Fund for Women and Girls at the Community Foundation of Middlesex County. The Black Heritage stamps are available online and at local post offices.
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