Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com -By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor-in-chief-CLEVELAND, Ohio- The Black Women's Political Action Committee of greater Cleveland, which is led by Elaine Gohlstin, who succeeded retired East Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Una H.R. Kennon as president of the Black women's political organization, will honor retired Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals Judge Patricia Ann Blackmon during a special open-to-the-public ceremony on Thurs,. March 24, 2022 at Karamu House Theater on Cleveland's largely Black east side. Doors will open at 5:30pm and the ceremony will begin at 6pm. Judges who attend are asked to wear their robes.
The event comes as Women's History Month, which is celebrated annually in March in the United States, comes to a close.
A founding member of the Black Women's PAC like Judge Kennon, Judge Blackmon, along with since retired 8th district court of appeals judge Sara J, Harper, is the first African American woman elected as a judge on a state court of appeals in Ohio. They both were first elected to the appellate bench in Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland, the same year.
She was elected on her first try, and she and Harper, among other Black women, paved the way for Ohio Supreme Court Justice Melody Stewart, the first Black and first Black woman elected to the state's highest court and a former 8th district court of appeals judge like Blackmon and Harper.
Judge Blackmon served five judicial terms before retiring in February of 2021, having been term limited due to age since, per state law, Ohio judges cannot run for a judgeship if they are 70 or older, though they can serve out the remainder of a term where applicable.
Born in Mississippi, Judge Blackmon graduated from Tougaloo College magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in African-American studies, political science, and history. She was recruited to attend Cleveland-Marshall College of Law by the late judge Ann Aldrich and received her law degree in 1975.
With Cleveland as her new home, she was a practicing attorney and later served as chief prosecutor for the city of Cleveland and the city’s first night prosecutor. She also served as an assistant director of Victims/Witness Program and and taught classes at Dyke College.
During her career Judge Blackmon was described by her peers, and others, as a "brilliant chief city prosecutor-turned brilliant appellate court judge."
By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor. Coleman is a seasoned Black Cleveland journalist who trained at the Call and Post Newspaper for 17 years and an experienced investigative and political reporter. She is the most read independent journalist in Ohio per Alexa.com
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