Martha Barnett answered questions about civic engagement and her involvement in the Rosewood massacre case with southern charm.
Former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham interviewed the lawyer and former president of the American Bar Association in front of a crowd of about 50 lawyers, UF law school alumni, students and faculty. The event took place Wednesday in the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at Pugh Hall.
As part of the Graham Center’s Knight Fellows-in-Residence Program, Barnett has spent the last few weeks on campus interacting with students and faculty. The UF Levin College of Law alumna said the university is different now than it was when she began her law studies in 1970, when only about 4 percent of UF law students were female.
The Pasco County native said she is impressed with how much the university has evolved and expanded since then.
“(UF is) an old institution that constantly seems to be getting a face-lift or even new parts, and that’s pretty impressive to look at a campus that’s still thriving and growing,” Barnett said.
She also spoke about her role in the Rosewood massacre case, where she represented the victims of a 1923 riot where a white mob destroyed a majority-black town. The case ended in several deaths on both sides.
“It was a huge risk to put aside their fears and come forward and to tell their story, and it was life changing,” Barnett said.
Barnett expressed her concern over the disappearance of public school civics classes across the nation and the decrease in knowledge of the principles of government and democracy.
Gladys Walter, a 25-year-old UF alumna getting her master’s degree in family, youth and community sciences, said she went to the event because one of her research focuses is on civic engagement.
“I just really liked her overall message about community engagement and how it’s our responsibility to be engaged in the entire public participation process,” she said.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 3/19/2015 under the headline “Former ABA president talks civic engagement, Rosewood”]
Bob Graham, former Governor of Florida and United States Senator, and Martha Barnett, former President of the American Bar Association, sit down in Pugh Hall on Wednesday night to discuss the importance of civic engagement.
