U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Michelle Childs (left) and U.S. District Court Judge Richard Gergel talked about judicial courage at the 2024 Horace J. Johnson, Jr. Lecture.

Two federal judges, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge J. Michelle Childs and U.S. District Court Judge Richard M. Gergel, recounted stories from the Civil Rights Movement at the 2024 Judge Horace J. Johnson, Jr. Lecture.

An enlightening discussion on judicial courage, inspired by Gergel’s book Unexampled Courage, the lecture explored how individual bravery and the resolve of the judiciary were pivotal in achieving monumental victories during the Civil Rights Movement.

Gergel discussed the intersection between the judiciary’s response to justice and the demands for equal treatment from Black veterans returning from World War II, while Childs shared inspiring stories of federal judges who helped drive the movement by consistently upholding the law in the face of threats and violence.

With support from the university, the School of Law and the School of Public and International Affairs established the Judge Horace J. Johnson, Jr. Lecture in memory of the late jurist, who was a trailblazer in Georgia and a 1982 School of Law alumnus.