April 5, 2020
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Vol. 25, Issue 11 LIVING LEGEND
JudgE ElainE marsHall
By: N.L. Preston
HOUSTON - “Never let anyone steal your peace, and never let anyone take your peace and turn it into pieces,” is the advice Judge Elaine Marshall’s aunt once gave her. Today, with the city of Houston filled with panicked residents - some cautiously locked away in their homes while others disregard health warnings - those words of wisdom seem to be a message that needs sharing. “I think that is what is happening now. We are getting away from knowing who really sustains us, and so all of this is taking our inner peace and turning us into pieces,” she said. Marshall may be on to something. The COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic has many of us on edge. But ultimately, it begins with each individual and their mindset and, more so, how they stand in the face of adversity; something Marshall will not let slow her down. She spoke candidly with African-American News&Issues about her upbringing, her career and life’s highlights, opening up first about the fear she felt as a young adult preparing to head off to the University of Notre Dame, where there weren’t many who looked like her, in addition to it being her first time away from her family. “My grandmother looked me in the face and said ‘What
“Weareallinthistogether.” you are is God’s gift to you and what you make of yourself is your gift to God, and so when you go up there, you learn everything you can so you can give God his greatest gift,’” Marshall recalled. That loving statement carried her through, and Marshall went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts degree from Notre
Dame in Psychology, followed by a Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Texas. She moved to Houston in the 1980’s, where she and her husband, Stephen Augustine, raised three children, Janikka, Takia and Steven. Marshall’s career is something many would marvel at. The ‘military baby’ who grew up in San Antonio has served the City of Houston since 1987, first as a full-time judge, then as an administrative judge, and next as an associate presiding judge. A career highlight for Marshall is her revision of the Teen Court Program, which when started had only 15 members, but over time grew to nearly 100 participating students. Marshall was also an assistant district attorney for Harris County for eight years and assisted in developing the office’s child abuse section. On December 7, 2016, Marshall was appointed to serve as director and presiding judge for the Municipal Courts Department by Mayor Sylvester Turner. As a judge, two things have brought her extra joy. One in particular was seeing the recent historic appointment of social media’s “Black Girl Magic” judges, also known as the “Houston 19.” “I am all for us being visible as women and was excited to see everybody get out and vote,” she said, adding this advice. “Now that you’re on the bench, you need to show them what you can do. For us, as black women, we have to take that step a little bit further because everybody is going to question what we know, so we have to stay on top of our game.” Marshall was also an adjunct professor for seven years at Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law. “That was remarkable. For me, teaching was my way of giving back,” she said. Now for the top of her list, her greatest joy professionally Cont’d on page 2
tHE HonoraBlE craig a. WasHington
HOUSTON - Craig A. Washington was born on October 12, 1941, in Longview, Texas. He attended Brock Elementary School in Houston, Fidelity Junior High School, then Fidelity Manor Senior High School in Galena Park from which he graduated in 1958. Some of his high school activities included membership in the Student Council, and participation on the track, football, basketball, tennis and band teams. Washington attended Prairie View A&M University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biology in 1966. He went on to attend Texas Southern University Law School from 1966 to 1969, graduating number one in his class, with honors. While in law school, he was Captain of the Moot Court Team (1967-69), President of the Student Bar Association (1968-69), and Research Assistant to the Dean of the Law School (1968-69). Washington received several awards and was consistently on the Dean’s List. Washington also served Texas Southern University Law School as Assistant Dean and Assistant Professor of Law, teaching a course in legislation. In 1970, he left the University to enter private law practice. He was the founding partner of Washington & Randle (later Washington, Lampley, Evans & Braquet), in Houston. He was elected to the 63rd Legislature in 1972 to represent the 86th District of Harris County. Texas Monthly selected him one of the Ten Best Legislators three times: in 1973, 1979 and 1981. The August 1979 issue of Texas Business cited him as “being proficient in passing or defeating legislation,” the May 1980 issue of Texas Business referred to him as smart, well liked, and respected. Houston City called him Houston’s best legislator in its July 1981 issue and praised him in a feature story in the December 1981 issue. In November 1982, Washington was elected to State Senate District 13 for the 68th Legislature. He was the second Black to have served in the Texas State Senate since Reconstruction. His senate district included parts of the Fifth Ward, the Heights, Montrose, Fourth Ward, Third Ward, the Hermann Park area, the Texas Medical Center area, Meyerland, Sunnyside, South Park, Westbury, the far south side of Harris County, and the northern edge of Fort Bend County. In 1985, the State Bar of Texas honored Washington as Outstanding Criminal Defense Lawyer of The Year. Washington was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to represent the 18th Congressional District following the tragic death of his friend, Congressman George Thomas “Mickey” Leland. He was first sworn in as a member of the United States House of Representatives when the 101st Congress reconvened on January 12, 1990. He was re-elected in November 1990 and November 1992. He eventually was defeated by Sheila Jackson Lee and departed Congress. He moved on to maintain law offices in Houston and Bastrop, also serving as counsel to law offices in Fort Worth, Lufkin, McAllen, and Odessa, Texas. Washington was well known for his consistent support of civil rights and civil liberties and for his efforts to increase the participation of women and minorities in the political process. Highlights of his legislative career include passage of bills creating the Texas Department of Aging, increasing monthly payments to recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), limiting state investments in businesses involved with South Africa, addressing the needs of people with disabilities, and coordinating Texas’ fight against AIDS. Washington is a father of five, and is also a proud grandfather. - AANI
WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY • AVOID PUBLIC SPACES OR EVENTS WITH MORE THAN 10 PATRONS • SANITIZE AND STOCK UP • AVOID TOUCHING YOUR EYES, NOSE AND MOUTH • PRACTICE GOOD HYGIENE