As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, Brown, Goldstein & Levy reflects on a century of honoring the immeasurable contributions of Black Americans to our nation’s history, culture, and progress. This milestone also underscores the complex role of the law—as both a tool that has enabled injustice and a powerful mechanism for advancing equality.
Black history is inseparable from the reality of state-sponsored violence and systemic discrimination, as well as from the courageous legal and grassroots efforts to confront and dismantle those harms. We honor the lawyers, advocates, and community leaders who have challenged government abuse of power, fought for civil rights, and demanded accountability in the face of injustice. Their work continues to shape the legal profession and our collective pursuit of equal justice under the law.
Our firm has been dedicated to fighting against racist systems and attitudes since our founding in 1982. We remain committed to protecting the rights and amplifying the voices of Black Americans.
In line with this mission, our attorneys represented a Maryland Legal Aid attorney who was detained by a deputy sheriff following a court hearing for “lawyering while black,” and won an arbitration award of more than $250,000 on behalf of a Hooters server fired from her job because of Hooters’ racially discriminatory image policy—both cases that received national attention. BGL also obtained an $800,000 verdict plus the renaming of a school in honor of an African American school superintendent whose contract was not renewed because of his race. BGL also currently represents the National Fair Housing Alliance and 19 other fair housing organizations suing Bank of America for its racially discriminatory maintenance and marketing of bank-owned homes across the country.
This centennial moment calls not only for remembrance, but for action. During Black History Month and throughout the year, BGL remains committed to protecting and advancing the rights of Black individuals and dismantling structural racism and the pervasive mistreatment of Black Americans.
Learn more about BGL’s commitment to advancing civil rights here.