Justice at Home

When the Constitution of the United States was adopted, its foundations were laid in the democratic idealism of the Declaration. It has been the inspiration for every later recognition of broadened human rights and for the extension of justice and security to all men. We do not claim to have reached a perfect fulfillment of its high principles. But we have achieved the nearest approach among all the nations to a classless society, to equality of rights, and to a fair distribution of opportunity and prosperity. Whenever we reproach our own imperfections, as we ought often to do, we must not forget that our shortcomings are visible only when measured against our ideals, never when put beside the practical living conditions of the rest of the world.

-Robert H. Jackson, Independence Day Address

Welcome to Justice at Home, an email newsletter from the Robert H. Jackson Center that hits your inbox every three weeks with updates on our virtual programming, lesson plans and lectures, and interesting finds from our digital archives. 

If you enjoy this newsletter, please forward this email to a friend and share it on your social media pages. Make sure to tag us (@roberthjacksoncenter) and use the hashtag #JusticeatHome.

Tea Time with the Jackson Center: Raymond C. Pierce,

Southern Education Foundation

Our 2021 programming theme is The Work Left to Do, and within that theme we explore a different focus each month. In the first Tea of the month, we look at a topic from a broader perspective to understand the universal and legal challenges. For the second Tea of the month, we speak with those doing the work to educate and/or advance change so we can understand the continuing challenges and how we contribute to change in our own communities. For the month of June, our programming is examining education equity and education justice issues. In July, we'll turn our focus towards the Supreme Court of the United States and the justice system.

Our June 24 Tea guest is Raymond C. Pierce, the President and CEO of Southern Education Law Center (SEF.) SEF "engages in a range of partnerships and coalitions designed to attack the root cause of educational inequities by strengthening the capacity of advocates and policymakers. By using research-based practices, SEF’s aim is to help shape local, state, and federal policies and legislation that lead to effective systems change for Black and low-income students in the South." Since joining SEF in January 2018, Pierce has focused the organization on policy research, education legislation and leadership development. SEF has also launched a workforce development initiative and is expanding its efforts for strengthening parental engagement in support of improving student learning. This program was pre-recorded, and Kenita Williams, Chief of Staff and Director of Leadership Development for SEF, will be with us live in the chat to answer your questions.

If you have a Facebook account, follow RHJC's page and Kristan's page to be notified when we go live. You can interact with us by commenting on the video during the live stream. Share the video link with your friends on Facebook and other social media accounts using the hashtag #TeawithRHJC.

If you don't have a Facebook account, click here at 3pm to view the Tea on the Center's public Facebook page. You can catch up on previous Teas on our website or YouTube channel.

Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram, and share the videos with your family and friends on social media using the hashtag #TeawithRHJC.

We're on Tik Tok!

Our summer interns have set up a Tik Tok account for RHJC! You can check out the introductory video and follow us here.  Click on the social media icons below to follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram too!

From L to R: Summer Interns Sara Godfrey, Emily Schroder, Savannah Willis, Anabella Bogart, and RHJC President Kristan McMahon

Coming Up at the Jackson Center

Thursday, June 24 at 3pm EST: Tea Time with the Jackson Center

Thursday, June 24 at 7pm EST: Osprey and the Law:

The Robert H. Jackson Center (RHJC) and The Roger Tory Peterson Institute (RTPI) both promote the legacy of men who cared deeply about the environment. We are pleased to offer a panel discussion on the impact of environmental laws on the conservation and protection of species as part of RTPI’s The Art of the Osprey exhibition. The discussion will take place on Thursday, June 24, 7 pm EST, both online and in-person at RTPI, located at 311 Curtis Street, Jamestown, NY. 

Participation via Zoom is free. There is a suggested donation of $10 for those attending in person, which will include a guided tour of the exhibition, The Art of the Osprey.

To participate virtually, click here to register. To register to attend in person, email events@rtpi.org.

Summer Saturday Tours, 10am-2pm EST

Through Labor Day weekend, a Jackson Center staff member will be available every Saturday from 10am-2pm for guided tours! Masks and social distancing are required, and we encourage you to call 716-483-6646 to schedule your tour in advance. Visiting the Center is free, but donations are gratefully accepted.

Monday, July 5th: Closed in observance of the Independence Day holiday.

Thursday, July 8th at 3pm EST: Tea Time with the Jackson Center

Guest TBD.

Thursday, July 22 at 1:30pm EST: 17th annual Robert H. Jackson Lecture on the Supreme Court of the

United States, Chautauqua Assembly Platform

This year’s Jackson Lecturer is Melissa Murray, the Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law at NYU School of Law. She teaches constitutional law, family law, criminal law, and reproductive rights and justice. Ms. Murray will be in conversation with Professor John Q. Barret, which will be presented virtually on the Chautauqua Assembly platform, with the opportunity for Q & A.

Monday, July 26 at 3pm EST: Jackson's Prose-

The IMT Closing Statement 

Bryan A. Garner, lawyer, grammarian, lexicographer, and author of over 25 books, joins RHJC President Kristan McMahon virtually to discuss Robert H. Jackson's closing statement at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg on its 75th anniversary. Register for this free webinar here.

From Jackson's Desk

Robert H. Jackson was a gifted orator and writer. Many of his articles and speech transcripts are housed on our website. We feature them in our weekly #TuesdayMotivation and #SundayQuote on the Jackson Center's social media pages.

On Tuesday, June 21, 1910, Jamestown High School held its annual Class Day. Eighteen-year-old Robert Jackson of nearby Frewsburg, New York, who had spent the 1909-10 academic year as a post-graduate student at Jamestown and was graduating with its class of 1910, was selected to give the student oration of the day. His speech, which we today would call “environmentalist,” described Chautauqua County’s and Jamestown’s settlement and development and called for stewardship by current inhabitants of the beautiful region:

The hour when a high school sends forth a body of young men and women who
are to take their places in the rank and file of citizenship and contribute to the
city’s future weal or woe should be an auspicious one in which to reflect upon the
civic progress of the past and the probable improvements in the future.

Read the address on our website here.

From the Jackson Center archives: Attorney General Robert H. Jackson, newly selected as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, shows his pride as he poses with his son William E. Jackson when William graduated from Yale University June 17th, 1941.

This Month in Jackson History

June 21, 1910: Eighteen-year-old Jackson gives the annual Class Day speech for Jamestown High School graduates.

June 26, 1945: The London Conference begins. Representatives of the Soviet, French, U.S. and U.K. governments attempted to reconcile their conflicting legal concepts and devise a workable procedure for the newly formed international military tribunal. At the core of these intense negotiations was Robert H. Jackson. Jackson refused to back down on certain legal principles, most importantly, the position that aggressive warfare was an international crime. Read more here. 

Buy a Brick, Build a Legacy

The Robert H. Jackson Center provides a unique gift opportunity to provide an enduring and highly visible way to honor family members, friends, veterans, and other loved ones. “Buy a Brick – Build a Legacy” offers a way to make a gift that will last for many years while recognizing those whose outstanding contributions have made your community – or perhaps, the world – a better place.

For a contribution of $750, you may inscribe an 8″ X 8″ brick, or choose a smaller size (4″ × 8″) for a contribution of $500. The honorary bricks will be incorporated into the Center’s beautiful walkway, to forever become part of the historic path winding through the Center’s past and present. Proceeds become part of the Center’s Annual Fund to be used towards our ongoing educational initiatives and activities. A certificate announcing your gift will be sent to the recipient.