- Massachusetts Probation Service
Norfolk County Juvenile Court Probation staff in Dedham recently held its first Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast and this week, kicked off its Black History Month initiative. Norfolk Juvenile Case Specialist Scharliea DaRoza introduced the “Who Am I?” project which recognizes the work and contributions of African-Americans to the Massachusetts Trial Court.
Every Monday during the month of February, court users and others entering the courthouse will find a series of facts and hints, labeled “Who Am I?,” which will be posted throughout the building. At the end of the hallway, the identity, photograph, and accomplishments of the individual will be unveiled. DaRoza plans to feature two women and two men “who are pioneers.”
“We want the courthouse to be very welcoming to young people who come in. We want them to embrace who they are or to be encouraged to learn about a different culture or race,” said DaRoza, who serves as a Cultural Proficiency Champion and also launched the court’s first MLK breakfast.
Norfolk Juvenile Chief Probation Officer Mark Prisco said of the MLK breakfast, “As Dr. King quoted, ‘Life’s most urgent and persistent question is what are we doing to help others?’ Dr. King’s birthday was an opportunity for all of us to recognize and appreciate our fulfillment of his mission as we serve kids and families every day.“
Pictured, from left: Clerk Magistrate Robert Ryan, Justice Joseph F. Johnston, Probation Officers Stephen Slavin and Kate McDonagh, Probation Case Specialists James King and Scharliea DaRoza, Chief Probation Officer Mark Prisco, First Assistant Clerk Magistrate Paula Houghton, Probation Officer James Pike, Assistant Clerk Magistrate Stephen Martin, Operations Supervisor Stacey Connolly, Assistant Clerk Magistrate Jane McDonough, Head Administrative Assistant Charlene Ali, and Assistant Chief Probation Officer Allison Connolly.
Norfolk Juvenile Probation's Black History initiative introduces Macon Bolling Allen
Macon Bolling Allen (August 4, 1816 – June 11, 1894) is believed to be the first African-American licensed to practice law and to hold a judicial position in the United States.
Allen passed the Maine bar in 1844. He had difficulty finding legal work in Maine and moved to Boston in 1845. When he took the bar exam in Massachusetts, he walked 50 miles to an exam test site because he could not afford transportation. Despite his fatigue, he passed the Massachusetts Bar Exam on May 5, 1845. Allen and attorney Robert Morris opened the first African-American law office in the United States. It was located in Boston.
In 1848, he became a Massachusetts Justice of the Peace. Allen moved to South Carolina after the American Civil War to practice law and was elected a probate court judge in 1874. He later moved to Washington, DC where he worked as an attorney for the Land and Improvement Association. He died in Washington, DC on October 10, 1894.
