The Honorable U.W. Clemon

8/9/2016

The Honorable U.W. Clemon

c/o White Arnold & Dowd P.C.

2025 3^rd Avenue North, Suite 500

Birmingham, AL  35203

Dear Honorable Clemon,

My name is Matthew Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan with a strong interest in history with public policy. In these subjects I like to learn the need to advance on Civil Rights to help protect people who are different from being discriminated,  protect the environment from pollution, have criminal justice reform to make the system work for the people while reducing crime, and many others.  Honorable Clemon, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is because I find your work as Civil Rights activist, as Alabama State Senator, and as Chief Judge of The United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama to be very inspiring to me.

During the 1960s Civil Rights Era, I was very proud on how you had the courage to march with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr to protest against segregation in Alabama and how you, DR. MLK, and many Civil Rights Activists help desegregate Birmingham Public Library which allow African Americans to go into a library with whites.  After you graduated from New York Columbia Law School, I liked on how you decided to practice Civil Rights law where you dealt with school desegregation cases, helped desegregate the University of Alabama’s football, and bring employment discrimination cases against some of the employers in Alabama that discriminated people based on race.  In 1974, I was amazed on how you made history by becoming one of the first two blacks to be elected to the Alabama Senate since Reconstruction.  In your role as Alabama State Senator, I am very proud on how you continue your commitment to be a strong supporter of Civil Rights to help protect minorities, women, and people with disabilities from being discriminated. Also when you were in the Alabama Senate, I liked on how you used your role as Chairman of the Rules Committee and as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee to have the courage to challenge Governor Wallace’s discrimination policies like exclusion of black citizens from state board including agencies and discriminating against people with disabilities.   In 1980, I liked on how you accepted President Jimmy Carter to appoint you to serve as Chief Judge of The United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama to help improve Civil Rights and make the judicial system better. When you served as Chief Judge of The United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama in 1980 to 2009, I am proud on how you reformed the court system by increasing minorities, women, and people with disabilities to work in the workforce of the court, push for electronic case filing to help improve data recording for different cases, and expand on Jury-friendly with representative jury plan education to help educate the public about how the jury system works including the process of the court system. Another thing that I liked about your work as Chief Justice was on how you strongly advocated for people with disabilities’ rights, supported the need for women to have equal pay to reduce discrimination in pay, and expressed with supported the need to make Civil Rights laws stronger to help combat against discrimination.

Honorable Clemon, I have Autism with a learning disability.  Having Autism is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different subjects, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased.   Also as an Asian American along with being mixed race with a disability I struggle because people from different race including Asians and Asian Americans. However, your commitment to make Civil Rights a better place, combat against discrimination policies, and advocate for people with disabilities’ rights inspires me to work hard on my disability.   Also your work as a Civil Rights activist, as a Civil Rights attorney, as a Alabama State Senator, and as Chief Judge motivates me to be interested in learning history.  The main reason I like history, learn about how famous people like you, and study Civil Rights Era   is because it helps give me confidence to work hard at different struggles I face, learn on the need to make social justice a better place, understand how diversity is an important core value,  and  a strong need to make Civil Rights a better place for all people who are different.  My future goal is to someday teach history or work in a museum to help emphasize the need for equality, how Civil Rights is important to end discrimination, and many others.  In 2012, I visited the MLK Museum in Atlanta, Georgia where I enjoyed learning about MLK with many other Civil Rights activists like you, learn more about how discrimination hurt many people who are different, how Civil Rights overcame different challenges, and took my time to pay my respect to MLK and his wife at their burial site.

Honorable Clemon, I strongly believe that you made a great difference for history, society, and Civil Rights. I’m heavily proud and very moved on how you worked so hard to make Civil Rights a better place for people who are different like me. You have truly made a great impact on me to work hard on my disability, find ways to work hard at overcoming different challenges that I face,  and to be motivated to learn history.  Here is a picture of me as a gift to you for inspiring me.  I was wondering if you could please share with me what it was being a Civil Rights activist in the 1960s and explain your favorite achievements as Chief Justice.  Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, making a huge great difference in history with Civil Rights, and inspiring me.  I wish you well for the future and to continue to advocate to make Civil Rights a better place.

Sincerely,

Matthew B. Winick