Breaking Down Patriarchy Jane Crow and the Law: Sex Discrimination and Title VII
May 25, 2021
Rochelle Briscoe, a lawyer and policy leader who has served in the Obama White House and at Google and YouTube. She explores Pauli Murray and Mary Eastwood’s work on Jane Crow, Title VII, constitutional interpretation, and the ‘mommy track’. Conversations touch on civil rights history, intersectionality, workplace stereotypes, and how law shapes gender and racial justice.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Rochelle's Early Legal Calling
- Rochelle Briscoe traced her legal interest back to childhood reports on MLK and JFK and early civic volunteering.
- She became a congressional page at 15, met Rosa Parks, then attended Georgetown and later law school, shaping her career.
Pauli Murray's Trailblazing Life
- Pauli Murray faced race and gender exclusion across education and law, coined 'Jane Crow,' and influenced Brown v. Board strategies.
- She challenged UNC, was rejected by Harvard, became California's first Black deputy attorney general, and later coauthored the article discussed.
Constitution As A Living Document
- The Constitution must be read as a living document to extend rights as society evolves.
- Rochelle Briscoe and Amy McPhee highlight Pauli Murray's argument that judicial interpretation enables growth beyond 18th-century framers' intent.
