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Jacqueline A. Berrien

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American civil rights attorney and government official

Jacqueline A. Berrien
Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
In office
April 7, 2010 – September 2, 2014
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byNaomi C. Earp
Succeeded byJenny R. Yang
Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
In office
April 7, 2010 – 2014
Preceded byChristine Griffin
Succeeded byCharlotte Burrows
Personal details
BornJacqueline Ann Berrien
(1961-11-28)November 28, 1961
Washington, D.C., U.S.
DiedNovember 9, 2015(2015-11-09) (aged 53)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
SpousePeter M. Williams
EducationOberlin College (BA)
Harvard University (JD)

Jacqueline Ann Berrien (November 28, 1961 – November 9, 2015), often known as Jackie Berrien, was an American civil rights attorney and government official. From 2009 to 2014, Berrien served as chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) under President Barack Obama. Prior to this, Berrien had served as Associate Director Counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (NAACP LDF).

Early life and education

Berrien was born on November 28, 1961, in Washington, D.C., where she was raised. Her mother, Ann Berrien, was a nurse who was a federal employee for three decades. Her father, Clifford Berrien, was a veteran of World War II who later worked for the Department of State to pay his college tuition. While a high school senior, Berrien became a clerk-typist for the federal government to afford to go to college.

Berrien attended Oberlin College, receiving a Harry S. Truman Scholarship in her junior year. While at Oberlin, Berrien would become close friends with future Representative Yvette Clarke, who spoke on her behalf during her Senate nomination. Berrien graduated from Oberlin high honors in government in 1983.

Berrien would go on to attend Harvard Law School, graduating in 1986. At Harvard, Berrien was general editor of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. After graduating from law school, Berrien became a clerk for U. W. Clemon, the first African-American to serve as a District Court judge.

Career

Legal career

Berrien joined the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (NAACP LDF) as assistant counsel in 1994 with a focus on voting rights and school desegregation. Berrien also worked for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in the Women's Rights Project, as well as the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. As an academic, Berrien taught at Harvard Law School, her alma mater, and New York Law School.

From 2001 to 2004, Berrien was a program officer for the Ford Foundation, overseeing grants to often under-represented groups in the area of peace and justice.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Berrien was selected by President Barack Obama to serve as chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2009. During her tenure, Berrien worked closely with the White House Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force to combat the gender pay gap. As chair of the EEOC, Berrien worked to implement workplace protections for pregnant workers.

During Berrien's tenure, the EEOC won $240 million in the EEOC v. Hill Country Farms case. This amounted to the largest award under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as the largest award in the agency's history at the time.

In 2013, the EEOC under Berrien filed suit against BMW for racial discrimination in hiring at a facility in South Carolina. In 2014, Berrien was replaced as chair by Jenny R. Yang as a member of the commission by Charlotte Burrows.

Personal life and legacy

Berrien was married to Peter M. Williams, the NAACP's executive vice president for programs, for 28 years. She died of cancer in Baltimore on November 9, 2015. NAACP LDF president Sherrilyn Ifil, a close friend of Berrien, honored her dedication to civil rights, stating:

"There are few people who embody the pillars of the civil rights struggle as Jacqueline Berrien did. The talent, dedication, and humility with which she carried out her efforts to enforce our country’s equal employment, voting rights, and access to education laws should serve as beacons for all who do this work".

Following her death, President Obama released a public statement praising Berrien's life of advocacy, stating "she fought hard every day to make real our nation’s promise of equal opportunity for all". According to the New York Daily News, "hundreds of mourners packed Brooklyn's Emmanuel Baptist Church" to mourn Berrien, including Representative Yvette Clarke, her college friend. In 2021, almost six years after her death, a section of Decatur Street in Brooklyn was co-named Jacqueline Berrien Way in her honor.

References

  1. "Statement from Secretary Foxx on the Passing of Jackie Berrien | US Department of Transportation". www.transportation.gov. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  2. ^ "- NOMINATIONS FOR COMMISSIONER AND FOR GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION". www.govinfo.gov. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  3. "Jacqueline A. Berrien Becomes Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission". www.eeoc.gov. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  4. "Former Trustee Jacqueline Berrien '83". Oberlin College and Conservatory. November 7, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  5. "Berrien nominated to chair the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission". Harvard Law Today. July 23, 2009. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  6. ^ Roberts, Sam (November 11, 2015). "Jacqueline Berrien, Head of E.E.O.C., Is Dead at 53". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  7. ^ "A Tribute to Jacqueline A. Berrien Former LDF Associate Director-Counsel and Civil Rights Champion". NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  8. Simpson, Scott (November 9, 2015). "Civil and Human Rights Coalition Mourns Passing of Former EEOC Chair Jacqueline A. Berrien". The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  9. "Obama Chooses an EEOC Leader". New York Times. Bloomberg News. July 16, 2009. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  10. ^ "President Obama Announces Pick to Head Equal Employment Opportunity Commission". whitehouse.gov. Office of the Press Secretary. July 16, 2009. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017 – via National Archives.Archived
  11. "EEOC Chair Berrien Promotes Equal Pay Task Force Recommendations at White House Event | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission". www.eeoc.gov. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  12. Vogel, Steve (August 17, 2011). "EEOC and OPM target federal gender wage gap". Washington Post.
  13. Chappell, Bill (July 16, 2014). "EEOC Announces Tougher Rules Protecting Pregnant Workers". NPR. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  14. "Iowa jury awards $240 million to mentally disabled workers in turkey plant". Reuters. May 1, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  15. "EEOC Mourns Loss of Former Chair Jacqueline A. Berrien | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission". www.eeoc.gov. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  16. "EEOC Files Suit Against Two Employers for Use of Criminal Background Checks | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission". www.eeoc.gov. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  17. "President Obama Taps Vice Chair YangTo Succeed Berrien as Head of Commission". news.bloomberglaw.com. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  18. Wilkie, Dana (September 17, 2014). "Justice Department's Charlotte Burrows Nominated to EEOC". SHRM. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  19. Roberts, Sam (November 12, 2015). "Jacqueline Berrien, Head of E.E.O.C., Is Dead at 53". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  20. ^ Louis, Errol (December 8, 2015). "The new attack on voting rights: It's Southern states against their black citizens". nydailynews.com. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  21. "Statement by the President on the Passing of Jacqueline Berrien". whitehouse.gov. November 9, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  22. "Brooklyn Block Co-Named Jacqueline Berrien Way In Honor of Former LDF Associate Director-Counsel". NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Retrieved October 23, 2021.

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