"A Bridge to Justice: The Life of Franklin H. Williams" Panel Discussion

About Franklin H. Williams:

Civil rights leader, lawyer, diplomat, organizer of the Peace Corps and its first African-American director, United Nations representative, president of the Phelps-Stokes Fund, associate of Thurgood Marshall and first chair of a unique judicial commission dedicated to racial fairness, Franklin Hall Williams was a visionary and trailblazer who devoted his life to the pursuit of civil rights—not through acrimony and violence and hatred, but through reason and example.

Recent events in our nation’s history and the troubling resurgence of the white supremacy movement make painfully clear that the battle for civil rights is not one that has been fought and won, but rather one that demands eternal vigilance. Franklin Williams’ inspiring life story and his impact on the civil rights movement is a story that simply must be told and must be remembered by those to whom he handed the baton of freedom and equality.

"A Bridge to Justice: The Life of Franklin H. Williams"

"A Bridge to Justice: The Life of Franklin H. Williams" is a half-hour documentary on Ambassador Williams that includes archival, Oval Office audio of President Lyndon Johnson and then-Solicitor General Thurgood Marshall discussing Franklin Williams, insightful interviews with former Chief Judges Sol Wachtler and Jonathan Lippman, introspective footage of the Ambassador’s son and namesake and several other interviews with scholars, civil rights advocates and others who knew Franklin Williams.

The documentary is narrated by Sterling K. Brown, and produced by New York State OGS Digital Media Services, in cooperation with New York State Office of Court Administration and WNED PBS.

Major funding was provided by the Unified Court System, with support from the New York State Bar Foundation and the Historical Society of the New York Courts.

The Event:

The event will include watching a trailer of and other clips from "A Bridge to Justice: The Life of Franklin H. Williams" as well as a panel discussion. Welcoming remarks will be given by Don Boswell, President and CEO of Buffalo Toronto Public Media; Hon. Janet DiFiore, Chief Judge of the State of New York; Hon. Shirley Troutman, Appellate Division, Fourth Department, Co-Chair of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission; and Hon. Troy K. Webber, Appellate Division, First Department, Co-Chair of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission. Following brief remarks, a moderated panel will take place.

Moderator:

John Caher is the New York State Unified Court System Senior Advisor for Strategic and Technical Communications. He is the co-author, with Dr. Enid Gort, of a forthcoming biography on Franklin H. Williams. A professional writer for three decades, Mr. Caher is the author or co-author of six other books.

Panelists:

Edna Wells Handy, Esq. - Edna Wells Handy is the founder of Legal Skills Center, LLC., a MWBE-certified, management consulting firm that specializes in organizational turnaround and management. Edna Wells Handy served as the first Executive Director of the New York State Judicial Commission on Minorities (since re-named the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission).

Dr. Enid Gort - Dr. Gort has had an eclectic career as a foundation executive, author and professor. She was the director of African Programs at the Phelps Stokes Fund during Franklin H. Williams’ presidency. She is the co-author, with John Caher, of a forthcoming biography on Franklin H. Williams.

Franklin H. Williams, Jr. - Son of Franklin H. Williams, Sr.