The cause of death wasn’t released by the family. He was 84.
Hatchett was one of two young lawyers who filed a federal lawsuit against Pontiac Public Schools in 1968 to end its segregation practices.
When U.S. District Judge Damon Keith ruled in their favor, requiring busing to end the segregation, it marked the first such legal victory in a northern state.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the landmark Supreme Court decision that ruled state laws allowing school segregation were unconstitutional, was issued in 1954.
“He was a fighter for justice,” Pontiac Mayor Deirdre Waterman said about Hatchett. “He was a great man and a hero to the people of Pontiac.”
ALBION – Albion College has temporarily suspended a student accused of writing racist and anti-Semitic graffiti in the stairwell of an on-campus dorm last week.
The student, according to the college, was acting alone and has acknowledged responsibility for the incident. The individual was removed from campus on Wednesday placed on temporary suspension while a full investigation is being completed. We know the actors of racism that have occurred this week are not about one particular person or one particular incident, said a statement from the college posted online. We know that there is a significant history of racial pain and trauma on campus and we are taking action to repair our community. We will change and heal together as a community because we are committed to doing the work.
In an email to students and staff Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Johnson identified the person responsible for the graffiti as a “current student of color,” but did not reveal whether a motive had been determined, the student-run Albion Pleiad reported.
Multiple racist messages, including “Call the swat #KKKTime” and “White lives Matter Rally at 4/7/2021, Let’s Kill all [N-word] on this Campus,” have been spotted at the Mitchell Towers residence hall since March 28, the Pleiad reported. A Black student was also recently threatened by a non-student while driving, the Pleiad reported.
The incidents prompted students to protest on campus earlier this week.
SOM
Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights on the Passing of Elbert Hatchett
Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights on the Passing of Elbert HatchettContact: Vicki Levengood levengoodv@michigan.gov
April 9, 2021
LANSING, MI-James E. White, Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, has issued the following statement on the passing of Atty. Elbert Hatchett.
With the passing of Attorney Elbert Hatchett, Pontiac has lost one of its most prominent citizens and Michigan has lost an exceptional legal mind and civil rights icon. Atty. Hatchett was known for his oratory and legal prowess and, most significantly, for his successful, decade-long battle against segregation in Pontiac schools. He was far ahead of his time, recognizing that the fight for civil rights would never fully succeed until we overcome inequities in educational opportunity. His passion and commitment to the people of Pontiac and the state of Michigan will be sorely missed.
Whitmer
April 2021: Fair Housing Month
WHEREAS, it is Michigan law to provide fair housing opportunities throughout Michigan regardless of religion, race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, marital status, and familial status; and,
WHEREAS, April 11, 2021, marks the 53
rd anniversary of the passage of the federal Fair Housing Law Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended, which creates a national policy for fair housing; and,
WHEREAS, the State of Michigan is committed to the mission and intent of Congress to provide fair and equal housing opportunities for all; and,
WHEREAS, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights enforces state and federal fair housing laws, and Michigan residents who face housing discrimination have the right to file a complaint with the Department; and,