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Part I. Beginnings. "The base of this great ambition" : Nevis and New Haven ; "I discovered myself" : the Great Depression, the New Deal, and the dawn of a political conscience ; "Like a fairy tale" : Black exceptionalism, philanthropy, and a path to higher education ; A fortuitous meeting with "Mr. Civil Rights" : Thurgood Marshall and an offer not to be refused ; "They hovered over and cared for each other" : the uncommon union of Constance Baker and Joel Motley Jr.
Part II. Becoming the civil rights queen. "A professional woman" : Breaking barriers at work and in the courtroom ; "We all felt the excruciating pressure" : making history in Brown v. Board of Education ; "The fight has just begun" : the decade-long slog to desegregate the University of Florida College of Law ; "We made a mistake" : "poor character," "loose morals," and untold sacrifices in pursuit of higher education at the University of Alabama
Part III. The heights and depths of life as a symbol and agent of change. The "best plaintiffs ever" : desegregating the University of Georgia ; A "difficulty with the idea of a woman" : the setback of 1961 ; "That's your case" : James Meredith and the battle to desegregate the University of Mississippi ; "I am human after all" : trauma and hardship in the long battle at Ole Miss ; An "eye-opening experience" : the Birmingham civil rights campaign
Part IV. A season in politics. "An ideal candidate" : the making of a political progressive ; "Crisis of leadership" : a clash between radical and reform politics ; "Not a feminist" : the Manhattan Borough presidency
Part V. On the bench. "First" : the judicial confirmation ; "A tough old bird" : Judge Motley's court ; "The weeping and the wailing" : the Black Panther Party, the FBI, and the Huggins Family ; "Pawns in a very dangerous game" : crime, punishment, and prisoners' rights ; A "woman lawyer" and a "woman judge" : making opportunity for women in law ; "For a girl, you know a lot about sports" : the New York Yankees strike out in Judge Motley's courtroom ; No "protecting angel" : Blacks, Latinos, and ordinary people in Judge Motley's courtroom
Epilogue: legacies.
Part II. Becoming the civil rights queen. "A professional woman" : Breaking barriers at work and in the courtroom ; "We all felt the excruciating pressure" : making history in Brown v. Board of Education ; "The fight has just begun" : the decade-long slog to desegregate the University of Florida College of Law ; "We made a mistake" : "poor character," "loose morals," and untold sacrifices in pursuit of higher education at the University of Alabama
Part III. The heights and depths of life as a symbol and agent of change. The "best plaintiffs ever" : desegregating the University of Georgia ; A "difficulty with the idea of a woman" : the setback of 1961 ; "That's your case" : James Meredith and the battle to desegregate the University of Mississippi ; "I am human after all" : trauma and hardship in the long battle at Ole Miss ; An "eye-opening experience" : the Birmingham civil rights campaign
Part IV. A season in politics. "An ideal candidate" : the making of a political progressive ; "Crisis of leadership" : a clash between radical and reform politics ; "Not a feminist" : the Manhattan Borough presidency
Part V. On the bench. "First" : the judicial confirmation ; "A tough old bird" : Judge Motley's court ; "The weeping and the wailing" : the Black Panther Party, the FBI, and the Huggins Family ; "Pawns in a very dangerous game" : crime, punishment, and prisoners' rights ; A "woman lawyer" and a "woman judge" : making opportunity for women in law ; "For a girl, you know a lot about sports" : the New York Yankees strike out in Judge Motley's courtroom ; No "protecting angel" : Blacks, Latinos, and ordinary people in Judge Motley's courtroom
Epilogue: legacies.