MILWAUKEE — Women's History Month is a celebration of women's contributions to history, culture and society and has been observed annually in the month of March since 1987.
TMJ4's Andrea Williams sat down with the Honorable Judge Maxine Aldridge White who serves on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in the Milwaukee-based District 1 court.
"My greatest accomplishment in my mind is having the capacity on a number of scales to do for my family what my Mom and Dad did for me."
Judge Maxine White was born in rural Mississippi and raised by a family of sharecroppers that emphasized that she was worthy of everything that America had to offer.
"In fact, you're worth more than they have to offer because of what your fore parents had to put up with in order for you to be here now," said Judge White.
During this Women's History Month, she is reminded that as women we've come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.
"It means yet another opportunity to tell our stories, remind people how far we've come and how much we need to do in order to continue to make progress," said Judge White.
#8 out of 11 children, Judge White received her bachelor's degree from HBCU Alcorn State University. She then got her master's degree from the University of Southern California. In 1985, she graduated from Marquette University Law School.
"In each one of my degree programs, in each one of them, I worked, I studied, I worked, I studied, I studied, I worked, and I earned my degrees with honors and left college debt free."
That hard work paid off in more ways than one. Judge White was the first African American woman to serve as a federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and after being appointed by Gov. Evers in 2020, she became the first African American woman to serve on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.
She admires the late civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer who has a statue in her honor in Ruleville, Mississippi.
"Fannie Lou Hamer is famously known for standing on the steps in the county seat where I grew up. Just trying to go up the steps and take a test so she could qualify to vote, she nearly lost her life," said Judge White.
With that said, each day she enjoys a magnificent view from her office. A voting rights mural done by artist Patti Keating Kahn.
"When I walk into my chambers now and I see this huge push for equality right in front of me. Voting rights is human rights. It's a true statement and it reminds me that there's still work to be done," she said.
Despite the success that she's achieved, Judge White has often been reminded that she's not just a woman, but a black woman.
"When I traveled to the Hague with 25 majority group federal and state judges, and I was the only dark-skinned person in the group, I was the only one stopped in Amsterdam when we got off the plane and held back by an armed guard."
The obstacles and challenges are always there, but Judge White doesn't allow the ignorance of others to slow her down. She's committed to forging ahead and making a difference for those who will follow in her footsteps.
"The way I view it is, it's a stage that gives me an opportunity to see more and to do more about what I see."
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